The Witching Hour
by CritterKid
Summary: AU. The Fourth in my AU series. Everyone is back home and dealing with what happened, but how long can you keep the supernatural at bay?
1. Chapter 1

AN: This is the fourth story in my little AUville. I would highly recommend reading the other three, Choices, The Four, and The Darkness of Mankind, which are available here, for two reasons. First, they are amazing stories, if I do say so myself. Second, you will be completely lost and this story will make no sense whatsoever if you don't read the first ones. Go. Read. Now.

Everyone back? Good. For those of you who didn't want to live dangerously, I'll try my best to summarize. The series branches away from canon in Season 5, around the time the Knights come into the picture. Glory is still defeated, though in a totally different way, which leads to hugs and puppies and happily ever after. Yeah. Not quite. My series leads to new adventures, new dangers, and new challenges, which I highly encourage you to read, and left off dealing with what humans are capable of doing to each other.

This story picks up about six months after the previous ending. It is not nearly as dark as the previous story, although there are still hints at that darkness. I don't think anyone could go through something like that and be completely fine in a few months. It does deal with forced prostitution and slavery, though nothing as explicit as the previous story. If those situations are not for you, please stop reading now.

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Everything is owned by the very talented Joss Whedon. I'm just taking his toys out and playing with them. I promise to put them back, relatively unscathed. Also I don't consider this a crossover, but I do think Angel and his group, and Buffy and her group would help each other out whenever they were needed. Enough talking. I hope you enjoy reading.

Also, I have no medical training of any kind. I am not a doctor, nurse, psychologist, therapist, or any other medical profession. The extent of my first-aid training is a band-aid, and that makes me queasy. I researched what I could, made up what I couldn't.

AN: This story is complete. Real life, however, is rearing its ugly head in ways it never has before. I will try my best to keep to my one chapter a day posting schedule, but if I fall behind, I will get everything posted eventually.

On to the story.

* * *

"Dawn?" Joyce called out when she heard the door open.

"It's me," Dawn replied, heading to the kitchen. Joyce smiled when she saw her.

"How was your day honey?" she asked, placing the list she had been making down. Dawn rolled her eyes.

"It was fine," she told her mother. "Just like every other day."

"It's not an ordinary day," Joyce reminded her. "It's your birthday."

"Yes and as a birthday treat my teachers gave me a whole lot of homework." Joyce smiled. Though Dawn complained about school almost as much as Buffy did, she really liked learning, especially once they compromised on her Scooby level. "Besides, I'm not Buffy. My birthdays are not doomed to death and horror."

"And let's keep it that way," Joyce said, pushing the list toward Dawn. "This is what I was thinking for your birthday dinner. If you want to change something let me know." Dawn scanned the list. All her favorites were there. Not that she was expecting anything less.

"The cake?" she asked. Joyce shuddered but answered.

"Chocolate with cream cheese icing," she told her daughter. "With assorted ice creams. Where do you get your taste in food?"

"I like experimenting," Dawn shrugged. "Where is everyone?"

"I convinced Giles to babysit Andrew at the shop," she told her, "and Willow isn't back yet. Everybody else is napping." She pointed to the two baby monitors sitting on the counter. "I need to run to the store. Can you handle it?"

"Mom," Dawn protested, "I'm an adult. Of course I can handle it."

"Famous last words," Joyce cautioned, grabbing her keys and heading to the door. Dawn rolled her eyes, grabbed the monitors, and made her way to the library. She started working on her homework, half her mind focused on her task and the other half listening for any sounds coming from the baby monitors. Two hours later she heard her mom return, banging the cupboards as she put everything away. She decided she earned a little break, leaning back in the chair and stretching her muscles. She closed her eyes, thinking about the last few months.

Against all odds Buffy came back home. In true fashion, she didn't return in any way they thought she would. Dawn was ashamed to admit she thought Buffy dead after the first few months had passed. Then she felt incredibly guilty at the thought that she left her sister to a fate worse than death. And she wasn't the only one. Everyone was feeling guilty. Everyone thought she died, though it took some of them longer than others.

The months that followed were some of the worst times Dawn had ever had in her life, ranking right up there with the time her mom nearly died. Seeing her normally strong sister so helpless left Dawn scared, and learning how she got that way left her irate. Then just as everyone started dealing, Buffy had to go and nearly die again, fighting not a mystical foe but an all too real medical one. Everyone, from Giles to the doctors, thought she might not make it out of that one. She wouldn't have too, if not for the kindness of an anonymous donor. They all wondered who saved her life, but nobody ever claimed the act.

Dawn opened her eyes when she heard the door open again. A minute later she heard Willow's chipper tone as she talked with her mom. She sighed as she got up and reached for the baby monitors. She held the one labeled 'Buffy' carefully, thinking about what it represented as she slowly made her way to the kitchen.

Once they entered Buffy's mind and the nightmares started it was bad, but when they realized Buffy could still speak it got a whole lot better. Not that she was saying much yet, but Tara was right. She didn't need words to communicate. Anya went and bought another baby monitor to put in Buffy's room. She would usually start whimpering when the nightmares started. If they were able to wake her up right away, she would usually be fine. Of course there were times when she was quiet or they couldn't wake her up in time. Those times still freaked Dawn out. Buffy would wake up, screaming and inconsolable. Usually Giles would have to sedate the young woman before she could calm down again.

Thankfully that was happening less and less. Over the last few months Buffy had continued to make slow but steady progress. She had regained full mobility in her upper torso, though she was still lacking in strength and coordination, especially on bad days. She had also started eating again a couple months ago, much to everyone's delight. The day she got her feeding tube removed they had a big party, with all of her favorite things. She only managed a bite or two of each item, but watching her try new things was amazing, especially when she tried to spit out a dish she claimed was one of her favorites. Everyone got a laugh out of that.

"Hey birthday girl," Willow greeted. Dawn looked up, surprised. She had made it all the way to the kitchen lost in her thoughts.

"Hey," Dawn replied, taking a seat at the counter. She put the monitors in front of her. "How was San Diego?"

"Work is work," Willow shrugged. Buffy wasn't the only one to change these last few months. Both girls had graduated from college. Tara had elected to help in The Gallery, mirroring Anya's help in The Magic Box, though they both went from shop to shop as needed. Willow put out her resume and got bite after bite. After her scare with magic addiction, she decided to get back to the scientific side of slaying. She always was the computer go to girl, so she finished her degree in Computer Science. Companies were desperate to get her onboard, so much so that she had her pick of high paying jobs right out of college. She choose to work for a small software company in San Diego who agreed to let her work from home through emails and phone conferences, as long as she agreed to a quarterly meeting in their corporate office in San Diego. "I stopped in L.A. on my way back to visit Angel and his crew."

"Really?" Dawn asked. Willow nodded.

"They started up Angel Investigations again," she said.

"What about Wolfram and Hart?" Joyce asked.

"Angel's still running that," Willow said, "but after what the law firm did to try to get Angelus back, none of them completely trust Wolfram and Hart, not like they really did before. Cordy and Gunn have officially opened up Angel Investigations again for the common folk who need help. Angel still lives in the hotel so they keep him up to date with what's going down. While he still officially runs the law office he spends most of his time at the hotel. Wesley and Fred split their time between the two. Apparently it works out really well for everybody."

"Cool," Dawn said, reaching for an apple as a quick snack.

"Everybody also sent presents," Willow said.

"Yay," Dawn exclaimed.

"They're in the car," Willow smiled at the younger woman. "The majority of them are from Cordelia, so they're mostly clothes. And just so you know, I spent over two hours with her, alone, shopping for clothes. I should be sainted."

"Should I bring them in?" Dawn asked, motioning to the garage. Willow shook her head.

"They're not wrapped yet," she told her. "I was just about to start when you came in."

"Then I'll leave you too it," Dawn said as she finished her apple. "I've still got homework anyway. Which one do you want?" she asked her mother, gesturing to the baby monitors.

"I can take them both if you still have homework," Joyce offered. Dawn shrugged.

"Naw, I can take one. It makes a good distraction."

"Then you choose," Joyce said. Dawn looked between them for a minute before reaching for Buffy's. Maybe it was because she was just thinking about her, but she felt really overprotective right not. Joyce smiled.

"Get back to your homework. We'll let you know when it's time for dinner."

"And presents," Dawn called over her shoulder as she left the room. "Don't forget the presents." She lost herself in her history paper once more, looking up a few hours later when she heard her sister whimpering. She saved her paper than quickly climbed to the second story of the house. She quietly opened the door and entered Buffy's room. "Buffy?" she called softly before approaching, stopping just short of the bed. She reached out to gently shake her shoulder, calling out again. "Buffy?"

Buffy's eyes shot open, her head quickly turning toward Dawn. It took a few minutes for Buffy to wake up completely, but Dawn waited patiently. They all had too much experience with this ritual. When Buffy realized where she was, she gave Dawn a small smile. That was the sign Dawn was looking for. She took the last step over to the bed, leaning against it gently. "Was it a bad one?" she asked, watching Buffy closely. She was shaking slightly, but she just shrugged. Dawn checked the dresser, seeing Mr. Gordo watching them mournfully. "Do you want Mr. Gordo?" she asked. Buffy followed her gaze, slowly nodding her head. She quickly retrieved the stuffed pig, handing it to her older sister. Buffy immediately calmed down, holding the old toy tightly. Dawn sighed silently, wishing again that Buffy would speak more. She could if she really wanted to, or if it was really important, but for the most part questions were answered with head nods, shakes, or shrugs. It was definitely better than the nothing they had before, but sometimes Dawn just wanted to gossip with her older sister like old times. "You want me to stay?"

Buffy shook her head. Dawn leaned over carefully and gave her a quick kiss to the cheek, watching the whole time for any sign that this small action could set of a larger negative reaction. It was better to err on the side of caution until Buffy actually got out of bed. Sometimes she was still half asleep during these interactions and simple acts brought her right back into her nightmares. But Buffy didn't react, which caused Dawn to smile. Dawn turned to leave, but Buffy reached out and grabbed her hand before she could move. "Do you need something?" Buffy shook her head but didn't release her grip on Dawn's hand. Dawn watched her curiously, surprised when Buffy started opening her mouth, trying to get words to come out.

"Happy Birthday Dawn." It was said haltingly, Buffy stumbling on the words more than once, and took more time and energy than it should, but Dawn was ecstatic. It was the most beautiful thing she had heard all day.

"Thanks," she told her sister. Buffy smiled. "You ready to come down?" Buffy shook her head. Dawn expected that response. She watched Buffy fight to keep her eyes open during the short exchange and knew she probably was ready for more sleep. "Get some sleep. We'll have someone come get you when dinner is ready." Buffy nodded, her eyes already closing. Dawn tucked her hand back under the blanket then left the room.


	2. Chapter 2

Warnings and disclaimer in Chapter 1. Enjoy.

* * *

She entered the kitchen to a chorus of 'Happy Birthday' just as she thought. Giles, Anya, Tara, and Andrew were congregating in the kitchen. Someone had gone up and brought the twins down, her money was on Anya. The only person missing was Xander.

"Did Buffy need help?" Joyce asked.

"No," Dawn answered, distracted by the pile of presents she could see in the living room. She returned her attention to her mother. "She was still a bit tired. We still have time right?" Joyce nodded. Dawn sat down, a big smile on her face as the conversation washed over her.

"What?" her mom asked, poking Dawn in the knee lightly.

"Buffy wished me a happy birthday." Dawn felt her smile grow bigger, though she wasn't sure it could grow anymore. Joyce smiled too, knowing what those simple words would mean to her youngest. The conversation stopped momentarily as everyone smiled at that before resuming. Dawn just basked in the glow of her family.

Her birthday fell on a Wednesday this year. That night they were having a family only dinner party, but on Friday her friends were taking her to the Bronze for an all-night party. Her mom even relaxed her curfew for that one night only and the best part was everyone agreed to stay away during her Bronze time. Not that she didn't love everyone here, but she did have a circle of friends that she needed to hang with too.

"So how did it go today?" Giles asked once the conversation had died down a bit. Everyone stopped talking, giving Joyce their complete attention.

"Everything's fine," Joyce said tersely, not even turning away from the stove. Everyone gave out a sigh of relief. Since Buffy's transplant she needed more medical checkups than ever before. She had to go back every two weeks at first, which had been lengthened to every month. Ben kept saying if she kept improving it would soon be every two months, then every three, but she wasn't quite there yet. "Ben wants to try another adjustment with her medication. He thinks the current mix is making her queasy, which is why she's not eating as much as he hoped. She's still underweight."

"But," Willow started to protest before thinking about what she said. "That actually makes sense." Everyone nodded. Buffy hated hospitals with a vengeance before her reconditioning. Now it was almost impossible to get her to go anywhere near the hospital, even if she was dying. They found out the hard way she would never admit to being sick in any way.

"She doesn't admit she's sick so she doesn't get taken back to the hospital," Dawn said sadly.

"That doesn't make any sense," Anya piped up.

"To us, no," Giles added, "but in her mind it does." Anya huffed and rolled her eyes.

"At least she's getting better at admitting she's sick when we ask her," Tara piped in, trying to lighten the mood. "And we're all getting better at reading her. And actually going to the hospital isn't quite as traumatic as it was before." Everyone nodded their agreement. Ben and Abby helped a lot, making the hospital a much friendlier place. It also helped that they were so willing to come for a house call when Buffy needed medical attention. With their help they had managed to nurse Buffy through the various colds she had gotten since her transplant without actually admitting her to the hospital. Much to Joyce's never ending gratitude.

"But there has been no significant worsening of her condition!" Joyce finished with forced cheerfulness. She paused for a moment. "No significant improvement either though."

"It's still better than before," Tara told her comfortingly. "And way better than dead." Everyone nodded their agreement when the front door opened again. Xander numbly made his way into the kitchen.

"Xander!" Anya shrieked, passing over Billy to Andrew and rushing to her husband. "What's wrong?" Her tone caught everybody's attention and he soon found himself the focal point of everyone's stare.

"I was called in to see Mike today," he mumbled dazedly.

"Were you fired?" she asked, trying to be comforting, but everybody could see the wheels in her head turning as she subtracted Xander's income from the family budget and began figuring out how that would affect everything.

"No," he muttered, stopping her thinking in its tracks.

"No?" she repeated. "Then why are you looking like the world is ending?" She looked around to the rest of the group. "The world isn't ending, right?"

"It's not Ahn," Xander said, coming out of his funk a little. "It's just. He wants to leave the company to me."

"What?" Anya gasped, not even able to mentally compute the profit from this statement.

"Not right away," he told them, overcoming his shock in the face of their own. "He wants to retire in a few years and he wants to start grooming me to take over for him."

"Why you?" Giles asked before realizing how that sounded. He quickly added. "Don't get me wrong, I think you've a marvelous career in construction, but why wouldn't he leave the business to his own children? Or another relative?"

"He's an only child, as was his wife," Xander explained, retelling what he was told. "Both their parents are dead, as well as any aunts and uncles. They had two children. Their daughter died early from cancer. Their son was in our class. He died during graduation. Roger Williams."

"I remember him," Willow said. "He was a quiet kid, able to flit between social circles but not really belonging to any one group." Xander nodded. That was what he remembered too.

"I don't know if it was the mayor snake or the vampires, but something got him at graduation. They got his mom too. She survived but had some sort of mental breakdown. She started commenting on everything that goes on here instead of ignoring like the rest of the town. She never said anything to anyone but him, but it was enough to open his eyes. Unfortunately, she couldn't live with the truth she was finally accepting. She committed suicide shortly after, leaving him completely alone."

"That's so sad," Tara commented.

"Yes sad," Anya agreed. "Let's get back to you getting the business."

"He's getting to the point where he wants to retire," Xander explained, "but he doesn't want to sell the company. He wants to give someone half the business while he lives out his last years on the other half. Then in his will he will leave that person the rest of the shares when he finally dies."

"And he wants that person to be you?" Giles asked, trying to wrap his head around the situation.

"He said I have a knack for construction," Xander told them, "and I know what's going on and help fight back."

"You do," Joyce told him proudly. "I think you'll do an amazing job with a construction company." Xander smiled at her.

"It's not just that though," he said, frowning once again. "He wants me to go to college and get a degree in Business Management before he'll turn over the company to me. He said he'd even pay for it."

"That's no problem," Willow told him. "U C Sunnydale has a Business Management program. You could easily get a degree and not even need to leave town."

"Yeah," Xander started, "but I've always been defined by my non collegey life. That's always been my thing. Besides," he lowered his voice slightly, "I don't think I'm smart enough for college."

"Alexander LaVelle Harris!" Joyce snapped. Xander winced when he heard her tone. It was never good to be on the receiving end of her Mom Voice. "You are not a stupid man. You are a very intelligent and smart individual. You can graduate college if you try."

"Besides I'll help," Willow volunteered. "I got you through High School. I can get you through college too."

"Yeah but High School was different. I didn't have a job or family commitments like I do now."

"Buffy had a job," Willow pointed out, "and I got her through it. I'm not entirely sure how but I did."

"Hey!" Joyce and Giles said at the same time. Willow sighed before turning to her best friend.

"You made it through High School despite all the date drama, apocalypses, vampire attacks, crazed witch burnings, magical mayhems, zombies, and general Hellmouthy scary crap. Not to mention the Mayor ascending to a giant snake and trying to eat everyone during graduation. And yes, Buffy was the Slayer and handled most of those things, but you were right there in the thick of it every time. If you really want to do this, you can do it. And I'll be there for you every step of the way."

"Thanks Will," he said, feeling infinitely more calm now. "Maybe I could even take a few design classes? Maybe check out becoming an architect." He was over his panic and was starting to see possibilities.

"Maybe I can go with you," Anya said. "Apparently there is a degree that will let you charge people to tell them how to spend their money."

"I believe that's called Accounting," he said, pulling his wife into his arms, "and I think that would be perfect for you."

"I think it's settled then," Anya announced. "We should look into starting next year. That will give us plenty of time to get everything settled and ready."

"Wait a minute," Giles called out. "You can't just up and leave. Who will help in my shop?"

"I will," Andrew volunteered. "I can't wait to work with you every day. In fact, I can start tomorrow."

"Wonderful," he said, cleaning his glasses to hide his irritation. Willow smirked.

"I guess it doesn't hurt to look into it," Xander admitted as the different food items slowly finished cooking. Joyce pulled the dishes from the stove and oven, garnishing them before putting them on a plate to be carried into the dining room. In no time the table was set and the food was out. They were heading to the dining room when there was a knock at the front door. Everyone looked at each other before heading to the front door.

"Surprise!" Faith called out as she and Daniel entered the hallway. "Happy Birthday D." Daniel came over and enveloped Dawn in a big hug, lifting her off her feet and twirling her in the process.

"We weren't expecting you Faith," Joyce said as she gave a welcoming hug, one of the few people who could get away with this. Faith shrugged.

"The weather's going to be turning pretty soon. We wanted one last road trip before we had to put the hogs up for the winter and figured this was as good a place as any." They made their way back to the dining room, this time using the hallway instead of cutting through the kitchen. They saw Buffy slowly wheeling herself to the room. "Hey B," Faith greeted, clenching her fists when they automatically came up. Not to fight though but to help. Help that Buffy rarely wanted from any of them.

"Oh good you're up," Joyce said as she neared her daughter. "I was just about to come get you. Dinner is ready." The entire group stopped as they waited for Buffy to get through the door. Buffy threw her a distracted smile as she slowly pushed herself forward. "We'll have to put out two more settings though." She immediately backtracked to the kitchen. A few minutes later Buffy had finally cleared the doorway and the group headed in. Joyce had beaten them in, and was laying out the extra plates.

"How are my favorite kids of all time?" Daniel asked, reaching for Billy while Faith did the same with Alex. "They've gotten so big," he said. He settled Billy with practiced ease, who promptly started trying to eat his shoulder.

"I think they're teething," Joyce told them as everybody took their seats. Faith and Daniel put the kids in their swings, while Andrew produced their bottles from the supply belt he still wore. Buffy stopped her chair next to her mother, her arms shaking with the exertion. "They're chewing anything they can get their hands on," she continued, throwing her oldest a worried glance. Buffy didn't notice, but everyone else did. She got up and repositioned the wheelchair slightly to get it square with the table. Again Buffy didn't notice.

"She had a nightmare earlier," Dawn told everybody. "Plus she's always a little extra weird on checkup days." The Scoobies nodded as they began dishing up their food. Joyce put a spoon in front of Buffy. It was the test they used to see how much control she had each mealtime. On a good day she could handle a fork and spoon easily, feeding herself just like old times. Joyce sighed as she clumsily picked up the utensil, but couldn't keep it from shaking. This was not going to be a good day.

She took Buffy's plate and put some mashed potatoes on it, hopefully not enough to get everywhere, and put it in front of her daughter. She watched Buffy as she dished up her own plate, adding extra that she would be feeding to her daughter. Buffy managed to get her spoon to the plate and was trying to scoop up some potatoes. When she finally did get some on the spoon, she slowly raised it to her mouth. But her arm was shaking the whole time, shaking so bad that most of the food fell off before it reached her mouth. Faith and Daniel watched worriedly. This was the first time they had visited since the feeding tube was removed. They threw Joyce a concerned glance.

"It's okay," she told them, as she filled her own fork and reached over to feed her daughter. Buffy obediently opened her mouth and took the food, all the while trying to fill up her spoon again. "It's normal on a bad day." They nodded and returned to their own meals. Slowly the conversation drifted up again, talk about college and the stores where the main topics today. A half hour later almost everyone was done.

"Why don't we bring the presents in here?" Giles suggested, looking to the other end of the table. Joyce nodded, as she filled up another forkful for Buffy. For some reason Buffy was eating slower than normal. She was still attacking her plate of potatoes though and eating anything Joyce gave her. Joyce filed that away mentally, knowing everyone else was doing the same. Hopefully it was just one of the weird behaviors she had picked up on checkup days. If it continued over the next few days she would go to Ben, otherwise she would chalk it up to a quirk.

"We don't actually have a present for you," Faith said as Xander and Willow moved the stacks of presents over to the table after Anya and Tara cleared the dirty plates to make room. "More like an invitation. If you ever need a weekend getaway or a month long getaway, feel free to come over to our place. We'll show you the town and do things that," she paused when Joyce coughed discretely, "you can absolutely tell your mother about cause they will be safe and boring."

"Thanks Faith," Dawn told her, grinning slightly, "but I was kinda hoping to borrow Daniel for a bit after graduation."

"What?" he asked, looking at Dawn. Joyce also gave her youngest daughter her full attention.

"Now don't freak Mom," she started, "but my friends and I were talking about things we could do between graduation and college and Janice mentioned backpacking through Europe and I realized I really want to do that."

"Do you realize what sort of," Giles paused, looking uncertainly in Buffy's direction, "things roam the undeveloped wilderness of Europe?" Since they discovered Buffy's negative connotation to anything supernatural, they had tried their best to keep Slaying and supernatural issues and words away from her ears, much to Joyce's delight.

"Yes," Dawn told them calmly. "I read about them in one of your books." Giles backed down, looking chastised.

"And if they realize you're special and try to kidnap you?" Xander asked. Dawn rolled her eyes.

"Who better to protect me than Daniel? And if there's something he can't handle we'll come home right away." Willow opened her mouth, but Dawn beat her to it. "Look, I'm not saying we don't need to discuss it or I'm leaving right away. It won't be until after graduation and that's still a long way off. I might change my mind. But I think I want to do this. Europe is where most of the art, the history, and the ideals that have shaped our country originate from. I want to explore that, and not in a tour group where they hit the landmarks and leave out everything else. I want to experience Europe, not just see it. Just think about it, please."

"We'll see," Joyce told her. Dawn had made some really good points. And hadn't she felt that same compulsion to travel abroad. She shared a look with Rupert, both of them thinking the same thing. Her three-month stint in England and a drunken couple of nights neither of them could rightly remember had brought them all here.

"So let me get this straight," Faith said, studying the nineteen year old carefully. "You want to steal my boyfriend for a few months, and you want me to be fine with that?"

"That about sums it up," Dawn said. Daniel was smirking, clearly as excited as the trip as Dawn was. He had also wanted to see the world, which was one of the reasons they took so many road trips during the summer months, but they had never left the country. Faith sighed.

"The things I do for Summers women," she grumbled, looking heavenward.

"Maybe you can come with us?" Daniel suggested.

"And leave home for months at a time?" Faith asked. "V would have a heart attack if I even suggested it." She thought for a minute. "Maybe I can join you for the highlights."

"Maybe," Joyce said, realizing she probably wouldn't win this one but not willing to give up just yet. Dawn smiled and began opening her presents. She was nearly finished when Buffy finally turned her head away, refusing to eat any more food.

"Finally," Anya said as she cleared away the last plates. Giles and Xander took all the remaining food into the kitchen. Joyce would put it away when they were done with dessert. "I thought you'd still be working at it while we had cake and ice cream."

"Speaking of cake," Tara said as she brought out the cake. Nineteen candles burned brightly on top. Someone dimmed the lights as they group broke into song. Dawn was blushing furiously by the time they were finished, but wouldn't trade this moment for anything in the world. She made her wish and blew out her candles, plunging the room into darkness momentarily before the lights came back on. Giles cut the cake while Willow and Tara began dishing out everyone's favorite ice cream.

"Thank you," Joyce said as a piece was passed her way. She bypassed the cake, instead getting a little of the ice cream on her spoon and turned to her daughter. Buffy turned her head away, but Joyce didn't give up so easily this time. "Buffy," she said. Buffy turned toward her mother and Joyce took the opportunity to push the spoon into her lips, hoping Buffy would be willing to take a few bites of the sugary treat once she realized it wasn't more dinner. "Here you go." It worked. Buffy took a few more bites of the ice cream before turning her head again. This time Joyce let it go.

It was dark by the time the party winded down, the various couples slowly heading back to their homes. Towards dusk Spike had made an appearance, giving Dawn a birthday present before heading to patrol. Faith and Daniel offered to go with him, but he declined. Nothing extraordinary was happening, just the run of the mill patrol, and he said they should enjoy their vacation. As the group cleaned up the cake and started working on dishes Buffy slowly rolled out of the dining room. "Do you need any help getting ready for bed?" Joyce asked as she rolled by. Buffy shook her head and continued on her way. She and Dawn shared a look.

"I'll go," Dawn volunteered. "I still have some reading to do." Joyce nodded and Dawn left to follow her sister, detouring just long enough to get one of her schoolbooks.

"Something's wrong," Daniel said when they were sure Buffy was out of earshot. "She's different."

"It was just the checkup," Joyce assured them. "It throws her schedule off. Plus, she's extremely uncomfortable anywhere near the hospital."

"You sure Ms. S?" Faith asked. "Cause I have to agree with Danny boy. Something's off with her."

"Positive Faith. She'll be fine tomorrow."

"Then why did not so little D follow big sis into the bathroom?" Faith raised her head threateningly, but Joyce just sighed.

"Someone always does," she explained. "She can manage by herself pretty well, but if she needs help in the bathroom she has no way of letting us know. Someone usually waits in my room until she gets into bed."

"So she's done with the nightly ritual?" Faith asked. Joyce sadly shook her head.

"Unfortunately no. She still has no feeling below her ribcage so the B and B part of her nightly routine is still on." Faith winced.

"So is she down for the night?" Faith asked.

"No, it's still early. Why?" Faith shrugged.

"I just can't shake the feeling that something is wrong. I thought we could hang for a bit, maybe I can figure out what is bugging me so much."

"You can go play some video games with her," Dawn said as she came back downstairs. "She might not last long, but she's not quite ready to sleep yet."

"Video games?" Faith asked. Dawn nodded.

"It helps with her hand eye coordination," Joyce told her. "And gives her something to do when she doesn't want to get out of bed."

"Does that happen very often?" Daniel asked in concern.

"Not anymore," Dawn told them, "but when she first got out of the hospital she could go days without getting out of bed. That's why we put the VCR in her room and later the X-Box."

"You guys mind?" Faith asked, pointing toward the stairs. They all shook their heads. Faith hurried up the stairs, walking nonchalantly into Buffy's room. "Check out your crib B. They got you tricked out real good." Buffy looked over and smiled weakly at her. "I hear there's some gaming action going on in here. You game?" Buffy shrugged, which Faith took for a yes. Faith walked over to the game collection, finding two and holding them up to Buffy. "So what's it gonna be? Zombies or unholy, undead demony things?" Again Buffy shrugged. "Zombies it is." She popped the game in, grabbed the controllers, and jumped on the bed. She handed one of the controllers over to Buffy. "Game on," she said as she made herself comfortable.

They played for over an hour before Joyce called a stop. Faith kept her attention more focused on Buffy than the game, but by the end her anxiety had been tempered somewhat. "I'll be right back honey," Joyce said as she followed Faith out of the room. They stopped at the top of the stairs. "Do you feel better?"

"Yeah," Faith admitted. "I figured out what was bugging me. She's been distracted, but I guess that could have been cause of checkup day. She seemed more focused as the night went on." She stopped when they saw Andrew coming out of the nursery. "What is he still doing here?"

"I live here," he said proudly. Joyce rolled her eyes.

"Andrew. Go to bed." He nodded before turning back to Joyce.

"I just checked on the twins. They don't need to be changed. The nightlight is on. The baby monitor is working. They are fast asleep."

"Andrew!" Joyce said again, more sternly this time. He nodded.

"Babyman will retire for the night. Goodnight kind ladies." He gave them each a quick bow then quickly walked down the hall to his room, quietly shutting the door behind him. Joyce sighed and walked into the nursery, spotting Daniel sitting on one of the rocking chairs looking perplexed.

"He still lives here?" he asked quietly, mindful of the sleeping children in the room. Joyce sighed as she checked on the twins for herself.

"We tried kicking him out once," she said, smiling softly at their sleeping forms. "He made it to the front porch before he just sat down, looking so lost. Just like a lost puppy. I didn't have the heart to go through with it."

"You know he is evil right?" Faith double checked. "And just plain weird." Joyce laughed.

"If you can get past that part he's not too bad, unless he starts quoting movies I've never seen. Besides, he does babysit for free, and he helps with the cooking and cleaning."

"He cooks?" Daniel asked. Joyce nodded.

"Really well too. Usually he has dinner ready for us when we get home. The only problem is he likes to experiment a bit, just like Dawn, so we're never really sure what we're eating." She looked over at her grandson and the dark Slayer. "I need to see to Buffy. You can take any of the guest rooms or you can go over to one of the other houses. It's up to you."

"Do you mind if we just stay here for a bit?" Daniel asked. Neither he nor Faith were really tired yet, despite driving all day long. Joyce nodded.

"Just shut the door behind you when you're done," she told them, entering her room. She left the door connecting her room and the nursery open a crack, just enough to hear if something was wrong. Faith dimmed the lights before climbing onto Daniel's lap. He pulled her close as the two of them cuddled and watched the babies sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

I am so sorry for the delay. Stupid real life.

Warnings and disclaimer in Chapter 1. Enjoy.

* * *

"Good morning," Andrew greeted cheerfully when Faith and Daniel stumbled into the kitchen the next morning. He handed them each a cup of coffee. Faith eyed the cup warily.

"This is pretty good," Daniel admitted, slowly sipping the hot brew.

"It's my own secret recipe," he told them. Faith raised an eyebrow but tried the drink.

"Hmmm," she purred as the taste hit her tongue. "Maybe Ms. S. was right about you." She looked around. "Where is Ms. S?"

"Oh they left hours ago," he informed them, turning back to the stove. "They drop Dawn off at school and go to the shops. They won't be home until after five." Faith looked to the clock. It was just passed nine. If they took Dawn to school, they had to leave around seven.

"They leave you here alone with the kids?" Faith asked suspiciously. "With Buffy?"

"I am a trusted member of this family," Andrew replied. Someone coughed behind them. "Of this household," he quickly clarified.

"Besides he's not alone," Willow spoke up from her spot behind them. Faith turned around, her eyes rolling in relief.

"Breakfast?" Andrew asked them, facing them once more. They were about to respond when soft crying could be heard from the baby monitor labeled 'Twins'. Andrew immediately forgot about them, instead rushing to the door. "Babyman to the rescue!" he called as he leapt out the door.

"Do I want to know?" Faith asked, while Daniel started chuckling. Through the monitor they could hear the twins stop crying and start gurgling when he entered the room.

"I like to think they're laughing at him," Willow said, although it was said with humor and kindness rather than a barb at him. "He really is good with the twins."

"But he's never alone with them, right?" Faith double checked.

"No. At least not the way you're thinking." Willow reassured her. "I come over with Tara around seven. They leave to go to work and I stay to go to work." Faith looked confused. "I work from home. Or more accurately from Joyce's home. I've kinda taken over her office, not that she was really using it for anything. But while Andrew mainly takes care of the kids, I take care of Buffy." Faith nodded.

"So where is B? I mean I know Slayers are nocturnal and all but she was always an early riser." Willow frowned and looked at the clock.

"We generally let her sleep until she wakes up naturally, but she usually is up by now," she admitted, "but with yesterday being a checkup day." She let the rest hang.

"Checkup days freak her out that much?" Faith asked. Willow nodded.

"It's much better now," she admitted. "The first few times after being released from the hospital she had a panic attack whenever we drove down that road."

"Part of her conditioning," Faith said softly, remembering finding the complete hospital ward in The Ring's training and conditioning office. She also remembered the screams coming out of the ward as the demons did God awful things to their victims inside. She shook the memories away.

"Yeah," the redhead agreed, also lost in her memories. But unlike Faith, she experienced everything that her friend went through. It still gave her nightmares sometimes, even months later. "Extreme fear response for hospitals. Even if they needed one, their victims would never go. Thus reducing the likelihood anyone would discover what was really going on." She shook her head as Andrew came back in, a baby in each arm. "Hey Alex," she said as she reached for the girl. Andrew willingly gave her up, since he needed a free hand to get them in their chairs. Alex smiled up at her, reaching for her hair which Willow quickly pulled back. "You guys are such hair pullers." Andrew came back over and she passed the baby back.

"So breakfast?" he asked as he got both babied situated. "We usually wait for Buffy, but I can whip you up something if you're hungry."

"We can wait," Daniel said, moving over to help Andrew with the kids. Faith and Willow were content to watch.

"Why do you wait?" Faith asked, taking a seat at the island and sipping her coffee gratefully. Willow poured herself a cup and joined her.

"She doesn't eat unless the people around her eat," Willow said.

"Why?" Faith asked, thinking out loud. "That's not one of the conditioned responses is it?"

"Nope," Willow said. "We haven't been able to figure out why she does it." She watched as Daniel unsuccessfully tried to get a spoonful of baby food into Alex. She burst out giggling as the food fell off her cheek. Andrew sighed loudly before taking the spoon from Daniel's hands. "Oh and don't eat to fast either. Once you're done she's done, whether she's done or not."

"But last night?" Daniel asked, giving up when Billy also laughed at his feeble attempts to feed him.

"That was with Joyce," Willow said, as if that explained everything. When they still looked confused she elaborated. "Joyce can get her to do things we can't. Oh and by the way, Joyce is the only one that can feed her. We've all tried and let's just say we know where the twins get that little display from." They looked over to where Andrew was finishing up their breakfast. Once his back was turned they looked toward Daniel and laughed, as if daring him to try to feed them again. Andrew turned back, the packet of wet wipes in his hand, just as sounds could be heard coming from Buffy's monitor. "That's me," Willow said, grabbing the monitor and turning it off before clipping it to her belt.

"I'll get breakfast started," Andrew called out as she left the room. He turned to their guests. "I was planning waffles, but I can change if you want something different."

"That's fine," Daniel said, looking at the twins who were clean and happy again. "Is it safe to come over there?"

"Oh yeah," Andrew said. "They still get a bottle. I was going to leave them in the swings until after breakfast, but feel free to give them their bottles." Needing no further invitation, Faith and Daniel each grabbed a child and the bottles Andrew held out before making themselves comfortable. The kids ate contentedly, gazing up at them while Andrew started making the waffles. Ten minutes later Willow came back downstairs, turning the monitor on but not taking it off her belt. They could hear Buffy moving around in her room, the bed and chair squeaking slightly as she moved.

"She'll be down in a minute," Willow said. Andrew handed her the first waffle, which she proceeded to cut into small, bite sized pieces. Andrew added small, thinly cut apple slices then put the plate off to the side.

"How is she gonna get down the stairs?" Faith asked, when the movement in her room suddenly stopped.

"We finally got permission for the lift," Willow said, as she began dressing her own waffle. "Xander put it in a couple months ago. It's been a lifesaver."

"We've got butter and maple syrup," Andrew said as he put a plate in front of Faith and Daniel, "but if you want fruit I can make that work." They shook their heads. He smiled when Buffy wheeled herself into the kitchen. "Good morning Milady," he greeted her. "Would you prefer to eat here or in the dining room?" She shrugged, but wheeled herself closer to the island. The island was quite a bit higher than the table. Faith threw a curious look to Willow, who just shook her head. "Wonderful choice," Andrew said, coming around the island with a tray that attached to the wheelchair. "This morning we have a lovely waffle for your culinary critiquing," he said as he expertly attached the tray. He went back around and opened the fridge. "We also have a lovely selection of beverages for you to choose from. Milk, water, and a variety of juices. Orange. Apple. Grape."

"Tomato?" Faith asked, looking passed him into the open fridge. Buffy rapped her knuckles on the tray.

"Unfortunately the tomato juice was finished last night," Andrew said. He began his list again as Faith and Daniel looked closely at the juice.

"That's not gone," Daniel whispered quietly, wondering why they didn't want Buffy to have any.

"It's also not juice," Willow whispered back. She looked at them meaningfully. "It's red like tomato juice."

"Oh," Faith suddenly understood. "She still can't hear certain words?" she asked. Buffy rapped her knuckles again and Andrew poured some juice into a spill proof container. He then placed the plate and cup on the tray.

"No," Willow told them. "Really bad stuff happens when we talk about certain Scooby stuff in front of her. Not that I blame her after everything she went through, but it kinda makes our extracurricular activity a bit harder." Buffy slowly reached for a piece of waffle before realizing nobody else was eating. She snatched her hand away as quickly as she could. Willow sighed as she took her first bite. Once everybody was eating Buffy again reached for her own food. Her hands were still shaky, but not as bad as last night, and she had a little more coordination. "So what are your plans for today? Do you need to leave right away?"

"We'll have to leave tomorrow morning," Faith told them. "Promised V we'd be back by Monday. She and Jonathan are guarding the house."

"Jonathan?" Willow asked. Andrew looked up at the name, but didn't say anything. "No fancy name for him yet?"

"Oh she's thought of a few," Daniel said, smiling slightly, "but none of them have really stuck." She made a face at him.

"How is he doing?" Andrew asked nervously.

"Surprisingly not too bad," Faith admitted. "Once he was away from Warren his evil tendencies disappeared. V's been working with him on his skill set. She's even convinced a friend of hers to come help him study." She frowned when she realized how hard it was talking in code about stuff most people wouldn't even understand anyway. Willow smiled at her reassuringly.

"I know. It gets easier."

"By the way, V wanted me to let you know the database is working nicely."

"Good to know," Willow told her. "We've been updating our database too. Once we get them synced on a dedicated server anything anyone adds to one should automatically update to the other." Faith nodded as if she understood everything. Willow smirked. "Soon we'll have all the information we will ever need at the tips of our fingers."

"Cool," Faith understood that.

"Tell Veronica I'm also working on a database for the journals." Faith frowned.

"Won't that take like forever to get inputted?" she asked. "I don't think anyone has read all the journals. Not even G or V."

"That's why we need a database," Willow told her, "so we can put in a name or a date or whatever and be directed to which journal we need."

"I guess it will make research easier," Faith shrugged.

"That's the hope," Willow said, "especially if we can get the bugs worked out before it goes online." She noticed Buffy had stopped eating her food and was sort of playing with it. She decided to quickly finish her own meal, the others following her lead. "So any plans today?"

"It's a nice day," Daniel said, looking out the window. "How about we go for a walk? Maybe take the kids?"

"And Buffy," Willow added. "She loves going for walks." Buffy looked up at her name, eyes wide with excitement. Faith hesitated, then smiled.

"What do ya say B? Wanna go for a walk with Daniel and the kids?" Buffy nodded, pushing herself out the door faster than they've seen so far. Faith turned to Willow. "You'll come to right?"

"Sorry," she said. "I'm in the middle of something." Andrew opened his mouth to volunteer when Willow grabbed his arm. "Andrew is in the middle of something too." Andrew frowned, but stayed quiet as he started to get the kids ready to go outside.

"We can't do this alone," Faith protested as she helped Willow put the dishes into the sink. "We don't know what to do."

"It's okay," she told the dark Slayer. "The twins will probably fall asleep in the stroller. Andrew will pack everything they need in the diaper bag."

"The twins are not the ones I'm worried about," Faith said, looking into the hallway where Buffy rolled herself. "I'm not used to seeing B so weak."

"Okay. First of all, she is not weak. She's not helpless. And she's not fragile." Willow guided her into the hall where Buffy was waiting impatiently. "Now if you want to let her lead you let her push herself. If you want to lead you push her."

"She won't get upset if we push her?" Faith asked. Willow shook her head.

"No. She knows how the walk works." Faith nodded as Willow helped Buffy get ready. She generally wore light clothes around the house but would need something heavier for the outdoors. "Why don't you let her lead the first part," Willow suggested. "Eventually she'll stop somewhere and just bask in the sunlight. Hopefully it will be in some place you can stop at safely, not in the middle of the street like she did once." Faith stopped.

"She stopped in the middle of the street?" she asked as she followed the witch to the coat closet. Buffy was waiting a few feet from the door, staring at it intently.

"Yep," Willow told her. "Luckily no cars were coming and we were able to let her bask for a few minutes before Giles lost his nerve. Can you help her get her coat on while I go get some shoes and socks?"

"Sure," Faith said as Willow rushed upstairs. Daniel came with the stroller, the twins looking around excitedly. Faith noticed they were bundled up too.

"Andrew says it will get a bit chilly," Daniel said, as he too grabbed his jacked. Instead of putting it on though he simply threw it in the basket underneath the stroller.

"Grab mine will ya?" she asked as she helped Buffy into her jacket. Willow came down a few seconds later with Buffy's shoes and socks and a blanket. She watched as Willow efficiently dressed her friend.

"When you're done head to the shops," Willow said, draping the blanket over Buffy's lap. "You'll probably be in that area anyway. We'll drive down there with the van so we can drive you all back."

"Sounds like a plan," Faith said once everybody was ready. "Let's go." Willow opened the door, holding it on the other side, and Buffy quickly led the way.

"Just a word of warning Faith," Willow said as Daniel steered the stroller through. "She can get going pretty fast if she wants to." Faith looked up. Buffy was already halfway down the drive while Daniel had just gotten the stroller out the door.

"Damn," she whispered when she was sure the kids were out of earshot. "Did you just set us up?" Willow looked up innocently.

"It was your idea," she pointed out, letting the smirk out for a second.

"Nicely played Red," Faith said as she stepped out the door. Daniel was trying to catch up with Buffy and she could hear the squeals from the kids as they enjoyed themselves.

"Have fun," she called out as she closed the door behind them. Faith sighed as she took off at a full run. She quickly caught up to Daniel, giving him a quick wave as she ran ahead to where Buffy was still trucking.

"Wait up B," Faith called out when she finally caught up to the other Slayer. Buffy slowed down enough to let Daniel catch up, then led them at a steady pace through the woods that separated them from Sunnydale.

"Looks like a pretty well-worn path," Daniel said.

"Xander," she guessed. They could see fallen trees bordering the path, which had been smoothed over by more than just nature. Faith shrugged as she focused on Buffy. She was still a little unnerved to be out with the blonde, despite what Willow said. She couldn't get the image of Buffy dying in a hospital bed out of her mind.

"Maybe that's why Willow set this up?" Daniel told her, easily following her thought process. Faith shrugged, eventually finding her thoughts drifting from Buffy and to the beautiful day they had. The woods soon faded, leaving them on the outskirts of the city. Buffy showed no sign of stopping though, as she led them through the city towards one of the many cemeteries Sunnydale had acquired over the years. "You can take the girl out of the cemetery but you can't take the cemetery out of the girl," Daniel joked as they followed Buffy through the gates. She led them deeper into the cemetery, stopping at a crypt.

"Great," Faith scoffed. "Let's bask in the glow of a crypt." Buffy ignored her, looking around for something.

"Faith?" Daniel said, taking in the scene evenly. "What kind of a crypt has a ramp leading down the stairs?" A crude yet strong ramp had been placed from the top of the stairs to the door. They both looked at Buffy, who had found what she was searching for. She held a long stick loosely in her hands, a branch that had fallen from one of the many trees. She reached out, rapping as loud as she could on the crypt walls. The door opened on command. Buffy barely let the door open fully before she flung herself down the ramp.

"Oi," Spike shouted, unprepared when she came down and nearly running him over. He was barely able to stop her before she ran into the wall. He grinned down at her. "Come for a little Passion?" he asked, waggling his eyebrows suggestively. Daniel growled, flinging himself after them, leaving Faith to maneuver the stroller down the ramp.

"What did you say?" Daniel asked, putting himself protectively between the vampire and the Slayer. Spike raised up his hands in surrender.

"I meant the cheesy yet strangely addicting daytime soap," Spike exclaimed. "Buffy and Joyce love watching it with me. For some reason Red can't stand it." Daniel felt himself relax, turning when he realized Buffy was not where he left her. She had already moved her chair over to the lounger Spike preferred and was slowly transferring herself from her chair to his. Spike groaned. "She always steals my chair."

"And you call yourself the Big Bad?" Faith asked as she finally managed to get the stroller though the door. Spike smiled.

"You brought Pint-Size and Snack-Pack," he said, leaning down so he was at their level. They squealed when they saw him. He gave them big, sloppy kisses before straightening up. He let Alex keep a hold of his hand while Billy raised his arms in the universal 'pick me up' sign. "Can I get you anything before the show starts? I've got water or juice."

"How about tomato juice?" Faith asked suggestively. Buffy rapped her knuckles softly on the recliner.

"Figured that one out did you?" he asked, before turning to the blonde. "Tomato juice for the lady. And for the rest."

"I'll take a water," Daniel said, as he picked Billy up and got comfortable on the floor.

"Water for me too," Faith said. Spike nodded, turning on the television before heading to the little kitchenette he used. Faith joined him as he quickly prepared the drinks. "So what's up with tomato juice?" she asked.

"Beats me," he said, pulling two cartoons from his mini fridge. One actually was tomato juice. The other was obviously his blood, though the cartoon had 'Tomato' hand written on it. "We discovered it by accident." He looked over to see if Buffy was listening, but she was totally engrossed in the show. "When we realized her aversion to all things supernatural we decided to downplay my blood drinking in her presence. I offered to stop drinking all together, which Rupes was all for, but Joyce said as long as it wasn't obvious it was blood it shouldn't be a problem. I've been drinking out of a mug in front of Buffy without incident for ages so we both thought nothing of it, but we forgot about the twins. I was holding Billy with my mug of blood in front of me when he started grabbing for a knife. I was able to stop him before Snack-Pack got it, but my mug got tipped in the process."

"How did Buffy respond?" Faith asked breathlessly.

"She was mesmerized," Spike said. "I thought she'd start to panic, like every time we mentioned anything supernatural, but she just stared at it. Then she wanted some. Started whimpering and reaching for it. Joyce and I were in shock. Thank God Niblet was there."

"What did little D do?"

"Called me clumsy for spilling my tomato juice." He laughed softly at the memory. "Asked me if I wanted some more. Buffy started banging her fist on the table so Dawn asked if she wanted some too, calm as could be. She nodded her head and sat back, quiet as a mouse. Niblet made a big show of opening the fridge and scanning each shelf before she told us we were out of tomato juice and we'd have to wait until mom could go to the store in the morning. Buffy stared at her mum until Joyce promised to go to the store that night. Then she just sat back and finished her dinner, like nothing had happened. The next morning Joyce had a glass of tomato juice for her, which she drank without complaint. The weird thing was Joyce said she never really liked tomato juice before."

"So why did she act that way?" Spike shrugged.

"Don't really know. Called the Watcher as soon as Buffy was back to bed. Told him everything that happened."

"Did he have a theory?" she asked.

"Doesn't he always." He checked on Buffy once more before continuing. "Remember how Danny's dad got Buffy hooked on juice?" Faith nodded. "He thinks they did the same thing. We know she was on something, there was stuff in her veins when she was rescued. When she saw it he thinks she had some sort of flashback and suddenly remembered that she hadn't had any for a very long time. She thinks she needs to drink it so she doesn't go through withdrawal again, so we give her some."

"That's really messed up," Faith said. Spike nodded, sagging against a coffin.

"What isn't with her these days. But it makes sense in her mind, and it's not really hurting her so we all just go with it." They turned their heads, watching as Buffy lost herself in the show. Daniel was quietly playing with Billy at her feet.

"Does she know she has kids?" Faith asked quietly. It was a question that had been bugging her since they found the blonde Slayer. Buffy was far to traumatized initially to be told the twins were hers, but it seems she had made good progress since Faith had last seen her. Spike sighed.

"I don't know," he admitted. "We haven't told her, nobody thinks she's ready for that, but we don't try to keep them separated either. She doesn't acknowledge them or play with them in any way, but if you put them in her lap she will hold them." He straightened up when she looked at him, putting on a smile as he handed her a glass. "Juice for the lady. Water for the gentleman," he added, pulling a bottle of water from the fridge and handing it to Daniel. Faith grabbed her own water before joining them in front of the TV. Alex reached for Spike, who quickly picked up the girl. "What are we missing?" he thought out loud, before sighing loudly. "Snacks," he said, hitting himself on the forehead. Alex laughed and followed, her little hands swatting his head. "Pretzels or popcorn?" he asked the baby. She just laughed and continued hitting him. "Pretzels it is." He passed the baby off to Faith, who had gotten as comfortable as possible on the lawn chairs Spike probably stole from someone's yard.

"How long is this?" Faith asked, getting thoroughly bored within the first few minutes.

"The show's an hour," Spike said as he placed a bowl of pretzels on Buffy's lap, "but there's three of them." He positioned himself next to Buffy, even reaching over and grabbing some pretzels from the bowl in her lap. Faith and Daniel exchanged a glance, Faith could only shrug at the activity, but apparently Spike knew exactly what he was doing. Buffy subconsciously followed his lead, grabbing a pretzel and eating it, munching on the treat while she watched her show. Spike caught their eyes and smirked, repeating the process.

Eventually Faith and Daniel lost interest in the show and turned their attention to the kids. After that time seemed to fly by.


	4. Chapter 4

AN: Thank you so much for your review Daiz. To answer your questions, when I say complete I mean every word is written out in my word processor. The full story is 120 pages, give or take, and will probably end up being about 14 chapters. The only changes I make from that point on are tweaks here and there when I edit it in preparation for posting. I also do my own editing, so any mistakes you find are totally my fault. I try to get everything right before posting, but I'm only human and sometimes things slip through. If you see anything you can always let me know and I'll try to fix it. As for posting, I normally like to post a chapter a day, but right now my job is so erratic I never know where I'm going to be from one day to the next, let alone if they'll have internet access, so I will post a chapter whenever I can.

As for the rest of the review, which is amazing by the way, the stories very much build on each other so they really need to be read in order. Buffy is more or less normal after fighting Glory because nothing that I've put her through had happened yet. Now that the bad stuff has happened, I will be exploring the mental and physical effects as everyone recovers. I will be addressing her recovery, to various degrees, as the series progresses.

I also do have three or four more stories planned, even a rough outline worked up, for this series. By the end, hopefully everything will be explained, at least all the big stuff. The Prophecy will be explained (finally), you will learn about the missing kids (eventually), and will delve deep into my version of Slayer Lore. I love writing an adventure that wraps up nicely at the end, but gives little snippets of the bigger arc and leaves you wanting more. Hopefully I've done that.

Enough of my ramblings. Here you go.

Warnings and disclaimer in Chapter 1. Enjoy.

* * *

"Oh, hello Willow," Giles greeted when they entered The Magic Box. "Andrew."

"I am here to learn, Master," Andrew bowed slightly.

"Wonderful," Giles answered, whipping his glasses off and cleaning them vigorously. "Anya!"

"Oh no," she said, from her spot at the register. "I think training new employees definitely falls under your jurisdiction." Giles just frowned when something occurred to him.

"Where are Buffy and the twins?" he asked Willow. She smirked.

"Faith and Daniel took them for a walk." Anya laughed.

"So you managed to avoid another 'Passions' marathon." Willow nodded. "How do you keep managing to do that?"

"I'd say magic but, that might have a different connotation than what I mean, so I'm just gonna have to stick with luck." She smiled when Tara entered the shop through the connecting door shared with The Gallery. "Hey baby."

"Hey," Tara greeted with a quick hug before pulling away. "I know you just got here, but would you mind taking a look at the inventory program? It keeps trying to order two of everything."

"Sure," she said, already going through a list of problems in her mind. She had built the inventory programs The Gallery and The Magic Box used, so she knew them inside and out.

"Anya?" Giles begged. She huffed but relented.

"Fine." Andrew jumped for joy and joined her behind the counter. "The first thing you need to know is you are not allowed to touch the cash register."

"If I can't touch the register how can I put money in when you're gone?" he asked in confusion.

"I'm not gone yet. You have some time to prove your worth. Once you are worthy you shall be given access." Andrew nodded emphatically, obviously pleased to be on a quest to prove his worth. Giles closed his eyes, his thumb and forefinger rubbing the bridge of his nose in an attempt to stop the headache before it started. He looked up when the door opened again. "Xander," Anya greeted, but she didn't dare leave the cash register in the presence of an unproven male.

"Hey," he waved coming over to sit at the Scooby table in the center of the room.

"Did you talk with your employer?" Giles asked. Joyce heard him come in and was standing in the doorway between the two shops.

"I did," he confirmed. "I asked if it would be okay to study design at the same time. He looked like all his prayers had come true." He shakily pulled a piece of paper from his pocket. "As of next year I am officially a college student."

"Oh Xander," Joyce came over to hug him, tears in her eyes. "I am so proud of you." She let him go and took the paper he was shakily holding onto. An acceptance letter to UC Sunnydale.

"I think he might have pulled some strings," Xander admitted, trying to downplay exactly what this meant to him. "We've had a solid working relationship with them for the last five years so we had to have some benefit from it. After all, we rebuilt the dorms for them how many times now?"

"He might have pulled some strings to get you accepted," Giles said, coming over to congratulate the young man, "but he will soon realize that he didn't need to. Congratulations." He offered Xander his hand, which he took, but then surprised the boy by pulling him into a short hug. Xander cried softly at the acceptance of his pseudo parents.

"Oh there's something else," he said as he pulled out of Giles's grasp, discretely wiping his eyes with the back of his hand. He looked over when the door opened and waved when Dawn came into the shop. "Guess who was just awarded the contract for rebuilding Sunnydale High School."

"Your company?" Andrew guessed happily.

"Correct," Xander said, "but not quite what I was trying to point out."

"Dear Lord," Giles said, sinking into one of the chairs. "They're rebuilding it?"

"That was more my point," Xander said, looking between the two of them.

"Why?" Giles said, looking up. "Where?"

"The same spot it is now," Xander told them. "As for the why, apparently the city is going to lose the spot they found for the temporary High School at the end of next school year. When they lose the spot they lose the principal. They've already got someone new lined up, but he's insisting on a permanent campus."

"Hence the rebuilding," Giles said. Xander nodded.

"Apparently the principal is very interested in being involved from the start of the project. He's flying out to meet with Mike in a few weeks to discuss what he wants in his school."

"So what's your role going to be in this?" Anya asked. Xander swelled with pride.

"I'm gonna be construction foreman," he said proudly. "Or at least co-foreman. Mike is letting me tag along to give me some real world experience."

"That's great Xander," Joyce said, unable to keep all the apprehension out of her voice.

"Hey, I figure at least I'll be able to keep an eye on things as it's being build. That way if anything funny happens we can take care of it before it gets all Hellmouthy." Giles nodded, his mind racing as he prepared strategies for events that might never take place. Xander reached down and picked up the paper. "I've got to tell Will the good news."

"She's in my office," Joyce said. He nodded and rushed into the other building. Joyce turned to look at Giles. "What does this mean?" she asked, unable to keep the worry out of her voice. Nothing good had ever come from that school.

"It means that I was this close to going to school right over the Hellmouth," Dawn said, joining them at the table, her thumb and forefinger nearly touching. "I guess I could always fail a few classes."

"No!" everyone shouted at once. Andrew jumped, thinking Anya was yelling at him.

"Kidding," she exclaimed as the door opened and some customers entered the shop. Anya immediately went over to them, watching Andrew carefully as she went. Dawn pulled out her schoolbooks and started on her homework.

"Maybe it's nothing," Joyce asked hopefully. "I mean we did need a new High School for a few years now."

"Perhaps," Giles relented as the door opened again. "And there is more than enough space for a High School there, once you clear out the remains of the old one first. Perhaps this isn't the supernatural at work. Maybe it's just politics."

"If you think that, Ripper old chum, you really have lost your touch." Giles turned to the newcomer.

"Ethan," he hissed, already raising a hand to do something to the chaos mage.

"Wait," Ethan said quickly, calmly raising a hand. "You don't want to do anything you might later regret. Especially not in front of the kiddies." He pointed to the customers who were browsing in the shop. "I promise I'm not here to cause trouble. At least not to you."

"Forgive me if I don't take you at your word," Giles said, coming over to stand in front of his old friend. "What are you doing here?" he asked in a flat tone as he pulled Ethan over to the table.

"I'm actually trying to save your life," Ethan admitted, seeming shocked at his own generosity. "I've become quite sentimental as the years have passed it seems."

"You really think I'm going to believe that?" Giles asked. Tara and Xander rushed in from the other shop, alerted to trouble by the tone of Giles's voice. Willow followed them a few seconds later.

"Believe me I'm as shocked by this as you are," Ethan grinned. "I was approached by…" he stopped when he saw Willow enter the shop. "You!" he whispered in fright. He stared at the witch. Willow, uncomfortable with the force of the stare, fidgeted, but held her ground.

"Ethan," Giles said calmly. "All the customers have gone." It took a few minutes for that statement to penetrate his brain.

"What?" he asked, turning toward Giles, but he wasn't able to finish his question as Giles's right fist came out of nowhere and clocked him. He was unconscious before he hit the ground.

"What the hell was that about Will?" Xander asked as he quickly tied up the unconscious man. Giles gave him a quick once over, taking everything out of his pockets and checking for any weapons or amulets that he had under his clothing.

"I don't know," Willow said, staring at the unconscious Mage.

"We should get him somewhere secure," Giles said, gratefully taking the ice pack Anya held out to him. He gingerly put it on his bruised knuckles.

"Will the cell hold him?" Xander asked.

"We enchanted it against magic," Tara said. "Jonathan even volunteered to try to escape using magic. It held him."

"It also held me," Giles said, helping Xander get Ethan upright. "Anya? Can you pull the car around please?"

"Sure," she said, reaching for the keys before turning to Andrew. "Don't touch anything while I'm gone." Andrew sighed but nodded.

"Oh bloody hell," Giles cursed when the door to The Gallery opened. Joyce quickly moved to intercept whoever had entered the store.

"It's Faith," she called out as she crossed into her store. Faith raised an eyebrow at her tone, then pointed in the direction of the Magic Box. Joyce nodded. "Hey honey. Did you have a good time?" she asked, maneuvering Buffy's wheelchair so her back was to the open doorway and she wouldn't be able to see anything. Daniel stayed with the twins, though his eyes never left the doorway and his muscles tensed in anticipation. He watched through the window as Anya pulled their car around and Faith threw something into the back seat. Giles and Xander quickly got in and Anya took off. The whole thing lasted thirty seconds.

"We had a great time," Faith told everyone, walking back into the room nonchalantly. "We went and saw Spike, watched some TV, had some tomato juice, and got to see Spike get his head pounded by an infant." She smiled indulgently at the kids. "But I think it's time to get everyone back now. Right Red?"

"Right," she said shakily. "I'll go pull the van around."

"I'll take them back," Joyce said suddenly. She glanced at Tara. "Can you lock up for me?"

"Sure," she said as Willow pulled the van up. Buffy immediately headed for it, followed by Joyce. Joyce and Willow exchanged a few words, then Willow nodded and hopped out of the driver seat.

"Okay Buff," Willow said, coming over and opening the side door closest to the sidewalk.

"That is not normal," Faith said as she saw the inside of the van for the first time as Willow hit a button and a ramp slowly lowered into place. The back row looked normal enough, but the middle row of seats had been torn out, replaced by a single chair behind the driver's seat. Once the ramp was down Willow quickly wheeled the chair into place. She hit another button and the ramp started rising again. She could see Joyce take the twins out of the stroller and put them in their car seats, which were secured in the back of the van.

"Specially modified for our situation," Willow told them as the ramp reached the right height. Buffy wheeled herself into the van, twisting the chair until it was in position. The ramp lowered again, letting Willow and Joyce secure the chair to special clamps in the floor, before folding upright. Willow pulled the door closed. Joyce following her actions seconds later. Daniel folded up the stroller and put it in the back before returning to Faith.

"Shotgun," he called, leaping for the passenger seat. Faith sighed, heading over to the other side. She climbed into the weird looking chair, sighing in comfort when it melded to her body.

"What kind of a chair is this?" she asked, feeling nearly in heaven. She was surprised when it rotated around all the way. Even more surprised when she accidentally hit a button and the seat started vibrating around her. She couldn't stop her gasp as the chair started soothing muscles she didn't even know were tired.

"Nice isn't it?" Joyce asked knowingly as she pulled away from the curb.

"I need to get me one of these," she said longingly.

"It's a therapeutic chair for Buffy for long road trips," Joyce said warmly. Faith froze at those words, quickly finding the button she accidentally hit and turning the vibrations off.

"I'm sorry," Faith quickly said, as if learning the reason for the chair made it suddenly venomous. "I didn't know."

"It's okay," she reassured the young woman. "We've all taken advantage of it." Faith looked over at Buffy. The blonde was smiling at her, as if giving her permission to play with her toys. She raised an eyebrow in an unspoken question. When Buffy nodded slightly, Faith turned the chair back on, this time adding a heating element to the vibrations. She was in heaven until they reached the house, which seemed a much shorter trip than it should have. "Make sure you turn it off," Joyce told her, "or else it will run the battery dry. We learned that one the hard way." Faith nodded, making sure both settings were off, before turning to face the kids.

"What?" she asked them as they both stared at her. They grinned. Joyce was helping Buffy out so Daniel came to help her. She struggled to unhook the squirming infants, but eventually managed, passing first Alex then Billy to Daniel before climbing out herself. Buffy was already in the house, Joyce quickly following her daughter. "What now?" Faith asked as they closed the door to the van and headed in.

"Nap time," Joyce said. "Can you put the twins down? They'll probably need to be changed."

"What?" Faith asked, immediately holding Alex out at arm's length. Daniel just smirked.

"We've got it," he reassured her before turning to his girlfriend. "Big bad Faith afraid of a little diaper," he joked as he led the way upstairs.

"Not the diaper," Faith protested, "but what's inside the diaper." They heard Joyce arguing with Buffy about something, but weren't able to make much out before they entered the nursery. "I wonder what that's all about?"

"It's Buffy's nap time too," Anya said, coming into the nursery to supervise. "She usually takes her nap on the recliner in the front room, but Joyce wants her to go to her room today. I'm not sure why."

"It's because Ethan is in the basement," Xander said, joining them a few seconds after his wife. "Joyce doesn't want Buffy anywhere near him. I don't either."

"Who is he?" Faith asked, watching as Daniel changed the diaper for Billy. She decided to simply hand him Alex when he was done, thus saving herself from having to actually do the dirty work. "I don't recognize the name and I'm certain I haven't seen him around before."

"You'd remember him if you saw him," Xander said. "He's a Chaos Mage who loves causing mischief wherever he goes. Last time he was in town he changed Giles into a demon."

"That was him?" Anya asked. Xander nodded. "That was a pretty impressive bit of spell work. I thought Willow had just made a mistake again."

"Nope," Xander told her. "That bit of mojo was totally intentional." He turned back to Faith. "Every time he shows up he's in the middle of something and usually we get caught in the crosshairs. He is bad news." He stopped when they heard Joyce coming up the stairs.

"Buffy, stop struggling," she said, her voice sounding exhausted. They all looked up before rushing out the door, curious to see what was happening.

Giles was carrying the Slayer up the stairs, but she wasn't going willingly. She was kicking and screaming the whole way, only without actually kicking or speaking at all. Instead she was squirming as much as she could, trying to break out of Giles's hold.

"Buffy," Giles admonished as one of her wild flails nearly knocked his glasses off. She wasn't deterred at all though, instead trying to repeat the act. Giles sighed as he reached the landing. He followed Joyce into Buffy's room, placing her as carefully as possible on her bed. As soon as she was down she started trying to crawl away.

"Buffy," her mother reached for her, but instead of going for her mother like she usually did she went the opposite direction. "Do you think he did something to her?" she asked, reaching for Mr. Gordo and handing it to her daughter. The stuffed pig had always calmed her down in the past, but this time she threw it away. "She's never been like this."

"I don't see when he could have done anything?" he said. "She hasn't been alone all day and there's no way Ethan could do anything to her from a distance." He watched as Buffy neared the edge, reaching for the girl before she made it. Buffy jerked back suddenly, almost falling off the bed with her movements. Giles sighed as he repositioned her in the middle of the bed again, this time raising the railings to keep her in. Joyce copied his actions on the other side. Buffy didn't like that. She started banging her hands on the railings, which kept her trapped on the bed where she didn't want to be. Giles sighed, rubbing his hand through his hair. "I don't think its sorcery," he said after a minute. "I think she is throwing a fit."

"A temper tantrum," Joyce said, realizing he was probably right. Buffy clearly didn't want to come upstairs but they made her anyway and this was the result.

"How long is this going to last?" Xander asked, hating to see his friend like this. He was shocked when Buffy quieted with his voice. Joyce grabbed his arm and drew him into the room, not stopping until he was next to the bed. "Hey Buff," he greeted. She looked up at him tearfully, lifting a hand toward him. He took her hand, leaning over the railing to give her a quick hug. She returned it fiercely, not letting go. "I guess I know what I'm going to be doing for the next few hours," he said as he straightened up. He kicked off his shoes and cautiously lowered the railing before climbing into the bed. Buffy curled into him, immediately calming down. Joyce quickly took off Buffy' shoes and socks before pulling the blankets up over both of them. Giles quietly left, pulling Joyce with him. Anya stared at the two of them for a minute before sighing.

"Just don't give her any you know what's," she ordered.

"Really not a problem," he told her anxiously. She nodded and headed out the door. He looked to Faith. "Go. We'll be fine."

"Okay," she said softly. They followed Anya down the stairs.

"I'm going back to the shops," she told them. "Do you want to come?" Faith shook her head.

"I'm more interested in meeting the new houseguest," she said, heading straight to the basement. Daniel followed close behind her.


	5. Chapter 5

Sorry for the delay. Stupid real life.

Warnings and disclaimer in chapter 1. Enjoy.

* * *

"I see your hospitality hasn't improved much Ripper," Ethan said as he slowly opened his eyes. He glanced around the bars quickly before levering himself into a sitting position.

"I don't know," Giles said evenly from his position in front of the door. "I was able to be quite civilized when my father unexpectedly dropped by for a few weeks."

"Really?" Ethan asked as he gingerly got to his feet. "Are you an orphan now?" He tenderly touched his cheek where Giles hit him.

"Not quite," Giles told him. Ethan nodded as he examined the room outside the cell.

"Impressive," he said, continuing the conversation effortlessly as he examined his surroundings. "Last time we met you could barely stand the thought of your father. Now he ranks higher than me."

"Strangely enough he didn't turn me into a demon," Giles deadpanned. Ethan grinned. "What do you want Ethan?" Ethan didn't answer.

"I see you've got some new recruits," he said, motioning to Faith and Daniel. "Who do we have here?"

"Faith," she said, sauntering up to the bars seductively.

"The Dark Slayer," he said, recognizing her name immediately. "And you are?" he asked Daniel who came up next to her.

"A son of Azeroth," he said darkly, letting his demon show through briefly. Ethan widened his eyes at that.

"Have you switched sides Ripper?" he asked cautiously, turning back to his old friend. "The Dark Slayer and the son of one of the most notorious demons ever to walk in this world."

"Why are you here Ethan?" Giles asked again, face hardening as he refused to give any information away to Ethan. Ethan sighed, leaning back against the wall.

"I was here to help save your life, but maybe that is a mistake. If you're playing for the black hats now." He stopped when Joyce entered the room. It took a minute for him to place her, his eyes widening when he finally did. "You haven't switched," he realized, staring at the Slayer's mother. "You managed to get them to switch, just like you've reclaimed me."

"What are you talking about Ethan," Giles asked wearily. Ethan smiled his roguish grin.

"Chaos isn't inherently evil you know," he started. "True chaos always employs a hint of harmless fun in the center."

"Harmless?" Joyce asked, nearing the bars. "You think turning the entire adult population into teenagers is harmless?"

"Well, yes," he smirked. "You all got to experience the joys of being carefree once again. Don't tell me you didn't enjoy yourself, or that a little part of you wants to be able to do that again."

"Your point?" Giles asked angrily.

"I worship chaos," he said evenly. "The end of the world is another matter though. Apocalypses and Hell on Earth aren't chaos. Their terror. I never found the fun in terror." Ethan actually seemed shaken at the thought before he turned to Giles. "I was approached by a strange demon a few days ago. Funny chap, wore a silly bowler hat. Kept going on about balance and choices. Said his name was,"

"Whistler," Giles finished, giving Ethan his full attention.

"Right," Ethan smirked. "He said he had some important information to give to you Ripper, but he couldn't talk to you directly and needed an intermediary."

"What information?" Giles asked. Ethan shrugged.

"He wouldn't say. He only said soon I would have to make a real choice, stop playing silly games and decide which side I'm on." Ethan began pacing. "I, of course, thought nothing of it, but then the next day your witch tried recruiting me into her coven."

"Willow would do no such thing," Giles reassured him.

"She wouldn't now," a strange voice said. They looked around the room, blinking when the demon in question suddenly appeared inside the cell. He was looking directly at Ethan and keeping his back deliberately turned to them. "But what about in a month? Or a year? What if her perfect life became less than perfect?"

"You leave Willow alone!" Joyce hissed in a way only mothers protecting their children could. Whistler held up his hand.

"Did you hear something Ethan?" he asked. "I thought we were alone."

"Oh we are," Ethan smirked, lying outright, but Whistler seemed happy. "I don't see anybody around."

"Good. It wouldn't do to have this conversation overheard, especially by the Slayer's people. They're major players in this drama and I can't directly involve any major players."

"Who can you involve?" Ethan grumbled, scowling deeply. Whistler sighed.

"We went over this before, but since you were drunk I'll repeat myself. I'm Whistler, a balance demon recruited by the Powers That Be, otherwise known as the good guys. We have a loose agreement with the bad guys. According to this agreement neither side will directly interfere in the mortal realm."

"I love how you're not interfering now," Ethan sarcastically commented. Whistler chose to ignore him.

"We can act through intermediaries to try to maintain the balance between good and evil. The white hats had a good stretch with Buffy, but she fell and the black hats had their good stretch."

"Which you knew about and did nothing to help her," Giles realized, his hand clenching into a fist.

"It is the natural order of things," Whistler said sadly. "The rise and fall of good and evil. Both are natural. Both are prevalent." He paused for a moment before continuing. "The Powers on each side generally let nature take its course, but every so often an event happens that so vastly affect the balance that both sides try to tip the scales in their favor, or in extreme cases they work together to keep the event from happening."

"A prophecy," Giles sighed.

"Sometimes it's a prophecy," Whistler told Ethan. "Sometimes it's just ordinary events having extraordinary results."

"Like a powerful witch changing the world," Ethan prompted.

"Or destroying it." Whistler frowned. "Do you know what prophecy is?" he asked. "True prophecy, not that fortune telling crap frauds pawn of on tourists."

"The foretelling of certain events," Ethan said tiredly. Whistler shook his head.

"Not foretelling," he corrected. "Telling. They know exactly what the future will bring."

"How can they know exactly?" Giles asked. "A single decision can have hundreds of different effects and lead to a thousand different futures."

"And a true seer can see all thousand," Whistler said, before adding, "Did you hear that wind gust? It almost sounded like words." Ethan scowled.

"If they truly know everything, why are prophecies so vague?" he asked. Whistler shrugged.

"Seers have their own agendas just like everybody else," he said, moving from the corner over to the cot, still keeping his back to everybody except Ethan. "And there's this pesky little problem of human free will. They have spent a millennia setting up a perfect prophesy just for it to be ruined by a single mortal." Whistler frowned at the thought.

"As fascinating as this lesson is, what does it have to do with me?"

"Well, first I can use you to get a message to your buddy Giles. The Slayer and her people have become major players. They can significantly alter the balance between good and evil if they choose to, especially if they were warned that something bad was coming that only they could stop. If I tried to tell them that it would violate the agreement my bosses have with their counterpoints and I would be in some serious trouble. But I can tell you."

"I'll see if I can get them a message," Ethan snarked. "The other reason?" Whistler stared at him critically.

"You're an anomaly," he said honestly. "If I can see a hundred futures and in ninety-nine of them you do one thing then when the time comes you do something completely different, you become an anomaly."

"You mean like if a witch offered me great power to join her coven and I turned it down unexpectedly?" Ethan asked.

"Anomaly." Whistler nodded. "Also a paradox, since ninety-nine other times you said yes." With that the demon vanished.

"Okay did anybody get any of that?" Faith asked, giving up her intimidating persona. Giles and Ethan just stared at one another.

"What exactly did he say the other day?" Giles asked carefully.

"Your life would depend on a choice that I made." Ethan looked carefully at Giles. "I know we haven't always seen eye to eye, but you are my oldest friend and I would never do anything that would endanger your life."

"But you would play with it from time to time," Giles demanded. Ethan shrugged.

"What's the use of having friends if you don't play with them every so often?" Giles turned his back on the cell, but Ethan wasn't through yet. "There's one more thing he told me," he called out. Giles turned back to him. "Your girl. She's not having nightmares. She's having dreams." They stared at him in silence, which was eventually broken by the sound of the lift lowering. Unlike the other two floors, there was no shaft surrounding the lift in the basement, other than a chain link safety cage, and the sound could easily be heard everywhere in the basement.

"Buffy?" Giles asked when the girl in question wheeled herself out of the lift. "What are you doing here?" She pointed over to the mats with a shaking hand. Giles cursed as he checked the time. "Your nightly exercises. I almost forgot." She shrugged as she wheeled herself over, mindlessly following the routine they established months ago. She pulled some mats from the stack, laying them out as best she could when Xander burst through the basement door.

"Sorry," he said, almost out of breath.

"Isn't she supposed to be sleeping?" Joyce asked. Xander nodded his head.

"She did. She had a nightmare. I was able to wake her up before it got bad, but she refused to go back to sleep. We ended up watching some TV. I asked her if she wanted a snack. She said yes so I left to make one. I was only gone five minutes, just long enough to pop some popcorn, but when I got back she was gone."

"A nightmare?" Ethan asked, raising his eyebrows suggestively. Giles rolled his eyes and turned back to Buffy, but she wasn't watching them. Her eyes were firmly fixed on Ethan.

"Buffy?" Giles called out, but she ignored him. It wasn't until he moved to stand directly in front of her that she looked at him. She looked at him fearfully. He smiled. "Let's do your exercises, shall we?" She smiled up at him again, now all traces of fear gone. He quickly arranged the mats then gently lifted her from the chair. He laid her on her stomach and he began a quick massage of her lower back before flipping her and continuing with her lower torso followed by her legs. Once finished he grabbed her left leg, moving the limb and working the muscles in a perfected manner. "Buffy," he called, immediately getting her attention. He would often tell her stories during their workout, which made it one of her favorite times of the day. "I need to ask you a question and I need you to be completely honest with me. Even if the answer scares you or makes me mad. Can you do that for me?"

They could tell she was starting to get uncomfortable when she looked away. Giles simply continued his routine until she nodded grudgingly.

"These nightmares that you've been having recently. Are they different from your usual dreams?" Buffy looked down, refusing to meet his eyes. When she finally looked up she shrugged. Giles sighed. She lived in a nightmare for so long she could no longer distinguish the usual ones from the abnormal ones. "Do they involve your Masters or what they did to you?" he asked calmly as he lowered her left leg and switched to the right. She lowered her gaze again, this time not looking back up, but shook her head. "Do they involve Azeroth?" he asked gently. Again she shook her head, but she couldn't hide her fear as her upper body began to shake. "I'm not mad," he told her again as he lowered her right leg, "and I won't let anything hurt you again." He rolled her onto her side and began massaging her lower rib cage, reassured by the steady rise and fall of her chest, before moving her legs again. Joyce went over and took her daughter's hand.

"Do you know where you are in these nightmares?" she asked. Buffy refused to look at her, but by the white knuckle grip on her hand she knew her daughter was very uncomfortable with the questions. The minutes passed but Buffy still refused to answer or simply didn't know how. Joyce shared a glance with Giles as he rolled her onto her other side and completed their exercises.

"Do these nightmares scare you?" Giles asked as he rolled her onto her back. She again refused to answer, but her reactions told them all they needed to know. Her shaking reached a near violent level, the shudders carrying through all the way to her feet, while a thin sheet of sweat covered her face and arms.

"It's okay," Joyce said as she gathered her up in her arms, rocking her gently. Buffy didn't return the embrace, even her hand gripping her mother's so tightly had gone limp, but Joyce could feel her heartbeat racing faster and faster in her daughter's chest, her lungs struggling to take in air as Buffy slowly began to hyperventilate.

"Xander. Go get the sedatives," Giles ordered. He nodded and raced up the stairs, returning seconds later with a syringe and a vial of medicine. Giles measured out a dose and administered it to the stricken woman. A few minutes later Buffy started to calm down.

"Want me to put her to bed?" Xander asked. Buffy's heart sped up again at his words. Joyce frowned.

"No. I think I'll give her a bath. See if I can calm her down some more." Xander nodded, lifting the cataleptic girl into his arms and heading up the stairs, Joyce quickly following him. Giles turned to see Ethan looking pale and shaky.

"That is not chaos," he said. "That was terror. And that was not fun."

"If you had anything to do with this," Giles threatened, pulling Ethan into the bars.

"I didn't. I swear by the Janus, the God of Chaos."

"Giles?" Dawn asked carefully as she entered the room. Giles took a calming breath, releasing Ethan.

"Your sister will be fine," he said automatically, knowing what her first fear was. "Your mother is looking after her."

"I know," she admitted, "but that's not what I wanted to talk to you about. After his little display in The Magic Box I went up and checked the book."

"And?" he asked. Checking their demonic prophecy book was going to be the next thing he had Dawn do.

"No new prophecies," she said. He closed his eyes in acceptance. "But a new line did translate in the Third Age Prophecy."

"What?" he asked. They figured out that the words translated into English whenever that part of the prophecy had been or was being fulfilled.

"The lost Slayer shall be found," Dawn said quietly. Giles turned to the cell.

"Tell me everything you know," Giles demanded.

"I already have," Ethan told him, crossing over to the bars and letting his arms hang down. "A few days ago I was approached by that demon. I thought nothing of it until I was asked to join a coven by your witch."

"But I didn't," Willow said, coming out from the shadows. Tara was by her side, looking concerned. Ethan stared at them intensely for a few minutes.

"Yesterday," he prompted, "in L.A." She shook her head. "You promised me power beyond my imagination if I joined. And I would have been tempted, if I didn't get that warning from the demon."

"But I didn't," Willow protested. "Yes I was in L.A., but most of that time was spent with Cordelia. Plus, we've never needed a coven before." She took Tara's hand and held on tightly.

"That's true," Giles said softly, never taking his eyes off Ethan. "What do you know about her nightmares?"

"Just what the bloke told me," he answered. "They aren't nightmares. They're dreams. Slayer dreams." Everyone was silent.


	6. Chapter 6

Warnings and disclaimer in Chapter 1. Enjoy.

* * *

Ethan looked up when he heard the stairs creaking. "When are you going to let me out of this cage?" he asked.

"I thought about letting you out when Hell froze over," Giles said, passing a tray through the bars. Ethan took it and looked at his breakfast hungrily. "But then I realize we're on a Hellmouth and that could actually happen so I decided to go with something much more unlikely and go with when you grow a conscience." Ethan grinned roguishly at him then attacked his food with a vengeance. Giles watched him thoughtfully. "Why are you here Ethan?"

"I told you," he said between mouthfuls. "It's not my fault you don't believe me."

"So you're telling the truth," Giles murmured, "as opposed to all those times you lied to us." Ethan frowned.

"I see your point," he admitted coyly, finishing his breakfast quickly. "But I'm not lying now."

"You'll forgive me for not believing you just yet," Giles said, just as Joyce came rushing down the stairs.

"Rupert!" she cried out while still on the stairs. Giles turned to her as she came running through the doorway.

"Joyce?" he asked.

"Buffy's missing," she said, the worry plain to hear. "I checked her room but she's not there. The bathroom, the living room, the kitchen. I can't find her."

"Calm down," Giles said. "Take a deep breath." She did and a few minutes later she was much calmer. "Have you checked the door?" She nodded.

"It's still bolted, and it's too high for her to reach it."

"Let's call the others then we'll start searching," Giles said as he began leading Joyce back upstairs.

"Oh Ripper," Ethan called out before they made it more than a few steps. "You might want to start your search in the corner." He pointed to the far side of the room. Buffy was huddled in the corner, watching Ethan with a mesmerized gaze. "We've been having a staring contest all night long."

"Buffy?" Joyce called out in relief as she and Giles rushed over. "Are you alright? You're filthy. Where's your chair?"

"Did you crawl down here?" Giles asked. She had dirt everywhere, but especially on her hands and legs. Buffy ignored them though, instead she just kept staring at Ethan. "Buffy?" Giles asked as he put himself between them again. She blinked and turned to him, smiling.

"What's all the commotion?" Andrew asked as he entered the basement. He saw the empty tray in the cell. "Did you enjoy your breakfast? I can make you something else if you're still hungry."

"It was quite lovely," Ethan answered, picking up his cup of tea and tipping it in his direction. Andrew beamed, but it turned into a frown when he saw Buffy there.

"How did she get down here? Her chair is still upstairs. I saw it when I checked on the twins a few minutes ago."

"Andrew," Joyce sighed tolerantly. "Are you watching my daughter sleep again?"

"No," he answered. "That would be weird. I just open the door and take a quick peak to make sure everything is okay, just like I do with the twins." Joyce closed her eyes, her fingers massaging her forehead in an attempt to keep the headache away. Ethan smirked as he watched the exchange.

"Andrew," she forced out, opening her eyes and forcing a smile onto her face. "Do you think you can take Buffy back upstairs?"

"Sure," he said eagerly. He came over and put an arm under her legs and the other under her back and lifted. Or at least tried to lift. "Just give me a second," he whispered as he tried lifting her another way. She helpfully put her arms around his neck and he almost lifted her up a few inches before he slipped. Giles groaned and was ready to give him a hand when Ethan gasped.

"The Ring," he whispered breathlessly. Giles glared back at him but was unprepared for the naked terror in his old friend's eyes. He glanced back at Buffy. Her shirt had ridden up during Andrew's attempts to move her and a few of the markings on her back were visible. Giles quickly pulled the shirt back down before speaking to Andrew.

"Why don't you go get her chair?" he suggested.

"Okay." Andrew quickly went back up the stairs. He turned to Joyce.

"Why don't you go help him?"

"No." She looked at him quizzically before turning her eyes to Ethan. Her eyes narrowed as she realized something was different. She looked back to Giles. "What is going on?"

"I'll tell you in a minute," he said, gesturing toward Buffy. Joyce nodded and turned her attention to her daughter. Buffy let her mother cuddle with her for a few minutes, something she had been doing less and less as she got stronger. Joyce reluctantly pulled away when the lift started moving. A few seconds later Andrew was there with the wheelchair.

"Milady," Andrew bowed as Giles effortlessly picked Buffy up and placed her in the chair. Andrew nodded to each of them as he wheeled her back onto the lift. Seconds later she was gone.

"What's going on here?" Joyce demanded, but Giles was already moving to the cage. He pushed his hand through the bars, intending to grab Ethan, but he already moved out of reach. "Did he do something to her?" she asked, as she pulled his arms back.

"Yes," Giles growled.

"No," Ethan countered, before slumping onto the cot. "At least not directly."

"Explain yourself." Joyce glared at the man. Ethan sighed.

"Alright," he finally conceded, "but I have one condition."

"That we let you out?" Giles anticipated.

"On the contrary. I want to stay in," Ethan told them. "I feel quite safe right now, safer than I've felt for a long time. Toss me the keys so you can't open the cell door and drag me away. Then we'll talk." Giles looked at Joyce, who shrugged. He reluctantly pulled the key to the cell from his pocket and tossed it to Ethan.

"Talk," Giles ordered. Ethan looked at the corner where Buffy had been sadly.

"She was a victim of The Ring." It was a statement, not a question, but it triggered their protective instincts.

"What do you know of it?" Giles demanded, again trying to reach Ethan through the bars. "Did you help them? Was that a bit of harmless fun you partook of?"

"No," Ethan said softly. "You could say I was a victim too, though not in the same way."

"In what way?" Joyce asked, placing a calming hand on Giles's arm. She wanted to rage at Ethan, but she couldn't ignore the terror she saw in his eyes or the shivers that were running down his spine, despite his best efforts to cover them up. He took a deep breath and started.

"You, of course, remember the last time we crossed paths?"

"We went for drinks and I woke up as a demon," Giles snarked. "It's hardly something one forgets."

"Yes," he smiled fondly before turning serious again, "you remember how that incident resolved itself?"

"You were arrested by the U.S. Government and sent to prison," Giles said. Ethan shook his head sadly.

"This is where our recollections differ," he said. "I was sent to no mere prison. I've heard of Nazi concentration camps that were more humane than that place. The warden was quite insane. His protégé, Maggie Walsh, kept him stocked with various demons she no longer had any use for. His experiments made Adam look like a boy scout."

"What did they do?" Joyce asked, but Giles scoffed.

"Why should we believe you?" he asked. "You're track record is hardly the shining star of truth telling." This seemed to anger Ethan.

"You know what kind of person she was," he spat out. "What she was willing to do to her own men. Do you think she gave a damn about any of her toys? You gave me no more thought, even when you found out what was really going on, so I had to do what I do best. I had to look out for myself." Giles sighed and started rubbing his eyes when he realized Ethan was right.

"What did you do?" Joyce asked.

"I made a deal. There was a demon they captured called a Voulard." He missed the look Joyce and Giles shared but continued with his story. "He said his friends were coming for him and they could take me with them if I would help them."

"What did you promise them?" Giles asked wearily. "What did they need help with?"

"They needed a sorcerer," Ethan explained. "They needed three spells. One right away and the other two later on when they got more established."

"What spells?" Giles asked.

"The first was a simple teleportation spell," Ethan told them. "Then a cloaking spell and finally a secrecy spell. I agreed and within a few days we were freed. We went to a fancy law office, Wolfram and Hart."

"In L.A.?" Joyce asked.

"In Las Vegas. There I performed the first part of my bargain. I created teleport locations throughout the world."

"But can't demons teleport on their own?" Joyce asked Giles. "Daniel can and he's only half demon."

"Teleportation is a demonic ability," Giles said, "but only certain demons can do it unassisted."

"The rest of them need help," Ethan further explained. "Magical help. And since demons can't use magic, they need a sorcerer to cast for them." Giles frowned but let Ethan continue. "After my spellcasting was complete they dropped me off. They told me they would call on me later on for the next part." He paused as he tried to read their expressions. "A couple of years passed until they called on me again. The little band out misfits had changed. They had grown up, for lack of a better word. They had demons and humans working for them and had the world in their hand, but they wanted more. They said it was time they started branching out, but needed certain safeguards before they could truly expand."

"That was around the time they captured Buffy," Giles murmured, thinking out loud.

"What?" Joyce asked, her eyes wide as she looked at Ethan with new understanding. "Did you hurt her in any way?" she demanded, leaning closer to the bars. Ethan took an unconscious step back, feeling her anger and protectiveness.

"I never saw her," he told them. "If I had I would have come to you. I like the girl. She has spunk."

"But you knew what kind of place that was," Giles argued. "What kind of demons you were working with."

"Of course I knew," he all but shouted, getting some fire back in his eyes. "But I had no choice. I was left to rot in that Hell hole and got out the only way I could. I made a deal with demons and had no choice but to fulfill my end of the agreement."

"What safeguards?" Giles asked, forcing his anger to the background. Ethan calmed down and looked back at him.

"They wanted to cloak their main lairs," he explained, "and they wanted a way to ensure their business never reached the wrong ears."

"How?" Giles asked. Ethan smirked.

"The first part was relatively simple. A cloaking spell mixed with a disillusion spell. I was able to convince them the easiest way of allowing entrance was a tattoo. I enchanted a jar of ink and a pattern and entrusted it to their leader. I had no idea who he gave access."

"Buffy has one of these tattoos?" Joyce asked. Giles shrugged thoughtfully. He handed Ethan a small notebook and Ethan quickly drew the symbol.

"One of the few we have yet to identify," he said after Ethan handed the notebook back. He looked hard at Ethan. "They got the idea of the brandings from you." He shrugged.

"That wasn't my intentions," he told them, "but you have to admit the idea is brilliant."

"The second part?" Joyce all but growled. He frowned slightly.

"That was a bit more difficult. It's hard to advertise something but keep it secret at the same time. It took us a few days to agree on everything." He paused and sprawled out on the couch. "I created a secrecy spell, a spin on a blood oath. Anyone speaking about things they swore to secrecy would be cursed."

"What kind of curse?" Joyce asked. Ethan grinned.

"Oh it would be different for each person," he said. "Whatever they feared most." He paused, relishing in the chaos the spell would create, before turning serious again. "Of course there was one clause. One person, their leader, would have the power to tell the secret without punishment, which would allow him to recruit new members and solicit investors."

"You mean so he could sell boys and girls to the highest bidder," Giles snarled angrily. Ethan simply rolled his eyes and continued.

"He could also share that power with others, say if he wanted to start another branch. The new boss would have that power, but also take the responsibility if their people snitched. It actually worked out rather well, but of course the more people who can tell the secret without fear or consequences the more chances the secret will get out."

"Which it did," Giles said. "How did you enforce the spell?"

"A tattoo," Ethan said. He rolled up his sleeve and showed them the tattoo on his inner arm.

"Buffy doesn't have this," he said quietly.

"She wouldn't," Ethan said. "They never considered their property worthy enough to be brought into the Oath. If any of them escaped they were simply killed before they would talk. Not that they would with all the training they received." Giles growled and lunged for the bars once again, but Ethan was well away from his reach. He dangled the key provocatively.

"You said you never saw any of them," he screamed. Joyce was barely able to pull him back.

"I said I never saw your girl," he said. "I never said I didn't see anything." He got to his feet and approached the pair, stopping just out of reach. "Besides I was sworn to secrecy as well. They made me perform the Oath just like them."

"Why can you tell us now?"

"The Oath has been broken," he said simply. "The secret got out and The Ring got shut down."

"That was over a year ago," Giles growled. "You could have told us."

"Told you what exactly?" Ethan asked incredulously. "The prostitution ring the coppers just busted up was actually a demonic slave ring? The boys and girls who were the victims need help. Oh wait. They are receiving help from their governments, even from the Watchers Council from what I hear." He paused, taking a few deep breaths to get back in control. "I told you, I never saw your girl. If I had I would have said something." Giles lunged again.

"Rupert," Joyce rolled her eyes and grabbed his arm, "umm Mr?"

"Just Ethan love," he smirked, enraging Giles even more. Everyone stopped as they heard the lift move. Ethan's smirk left and his face paled when Buffy pushed herself out of the lift, staring at him intently.

"Buffy," Joyce asked, shooting Giles a quick glance. He sighed, nodded, and pulled his arms back and took a step back. Joyce rushed over to Buffy, lowering herself right in front of her daughter. "What are you doing down here?" She shrugged, looking past her mother at Ethan. They both looked up when they heard the door open upstairs. Several footsteps could be heard traipsing through the walkway. "Come on," she said, forcefully twisting the chair around and pushing it back into the lift despite Buffy's protests. "Let's go get some breakfast. Then you're going to come to work with me today." Giles sighed loudly, pulling his glasses off to clean them before looking at Ethan. He was obviously shaken up.

"I swear I never saw her," he said without his usual trace of snark.

"Why does she keep coming down here?" Giles asked tiredly.

"It's possible she saw me and thinks I am one of her Masters," he admitted, feeling sick at the thought. He sat back on the cot, gaining some of his usual confidence. "I like your girl. She's not afraid of a little chaos." Giles glared before he went upstairs. "Rupert?" Giles turned back, the naked need in Ethan's voice catching him off guard. "I'm telling you the truth."

"I wish I could believe you," he said sadly before he turned his back on his onetime friend and headed upstairs. The others were surprised to see Buffy up, but Joyce wasn't answering any of their questions. Instead she was starting breakfast with an unusual fury.

"Did he do something to her?" she asked when she saw him come upstairs. He shook his head.

"I don't think so," Giles admitted. "He's made no attempt to escape and, as much as I don't want to admit it, that cage can't stop him if he truly wants out." Joyce tiredly leaned against the counter until something caught her eye.

"Buffy!" she commanded. "Stop!" They all turned to see Buffy slowly pushing herself toward the lift. She didn't stop though and Joyce quickly closed the distance between them and grabbed the chair. She pushed her daughter back toward the kitchen. "Why is she acting this way?" she asked. Giles sighed.

"Ethan thinks she saw him and thinks he is one of her Masters," he said sadly.

"What?" Xander shouted, heading for the stairs.

"Xander," Joyce called quietly, stopping him in his tracks. "I've already got one child being a pain in the ass. Please don't make it two."

"Okay," he relented for now, "but if he hurts her in any way."

"I don't think he will," Giles mentioned, "at least not directly. There's no fun in that."

"Is he a danger?" Faith asked. Nobody saw Faith and Daniel come down and turned to look at them in surprise, but her gaze was firmly fixed on Giles. "If he's a danger I am perfectly fine taking him out." Giles shook his head.

"I don't think he's a danger, and if he is we are more than capable of dealing with him." Faith nodded.

"Me and Daniel are about to head out, but we can stay if you need us." Joyce smiled.

"We'll be fine," she said, "but can you do me a favor?" Faith nodded. "Can you stay with Buffy while I get ready?"

"She trying to be a jailbird?" Faith grinned. "We can go up and kill some zombies and spend some quality time with the little ones before we have to bail." Daniel nodded and went over to Buffy. Instead of pushing the chair he simply picked her up in his arms and followed Faith up the stairs. Joyce sighed, finally relenting and letting Andrew have his kitchen back.

"So, what do you want for breakfast?" he grinned, happy to be at the oven again. The group just looked at each other confusedly.

"Willow," Giles started tiredly.

"It wasn't me," Willow nearly shouted. "Whatever Ethan told you wasn't true. I was in L.A. but I never even saw him."

"I believe you," he said, interrupting her rant.

"Oh," she said. "What did you need?"

"Ethan is still maintaining you approached him," he told her, "and while lying isn't uncommon from him, I can't see what he has to gain from this lie. Even so, I think it would be wise if you refrained from using magic for the time being, until the situation is resolved." Willow nodded, she had been expecting this request.

"Already done," she said. "I won't be doing any magic unless you specifically request something, then Tara will be there the whole time."

"As will I," he nodded, "but I have one other request. Please don't go anywhere alone for the next few days."

"Fine," she exhaled loudly, "but I draw the line at the bathroom." Giles smiled.

"Agreed."

"Giles," she said, sounding extremely unsure and timid, much like she had when they first met. "Do you think I am doing this? Subconsciously and totally accidentally I mean?"

"No," he reassured her, "but until we know for sure it doesn't hurt to be safe." They nodded. Andrew cooked them a quick breakfast which they ate while Joyce and Giles got ready. Daniel and Faith took turns coming down to eat between watching Buffy, who continually tried to get back downstairs. It was almost a relief to the couple when Joyce came into her room and took over. Twenty minutes later Joyce brought Buffy down, clean and dressed.

"Mom?" Dawn asked. She had been sleeping earlier and didn't know what happened and was confused when she saw Buffy dressed to go out. "Everything okay?" Joyce shook her head as she headed for the refrigerator.

"Ethan is causing his usual trouble," Giles said as he sipped his tea.

"Oh," Dawn commented as she grabbed the plate of pancakes Andrew handed her. Joyce grabbed a cup of yogurt and tried to feed Buffy. She allowed a couple bites before turning her head, looking longingly at the basement door. Joyce sighed and finished the yogurt herself before grabbing her coat and purse.

"I'm heading to work," she said as she grabbed the keys to the van.

"You're taking Buffy?" Dawn asked when Joyce came back to the kitchen and draped a blanket around her lap. She nodded.

"Today I am. I can take whoever is ready." It was still a bit early for them, but Anya jumped up, eager to open the store and start making money. The rest of them stayed seated, finishing their meal calmly.

"I'll go too," Willow said suddenly, pushing her nearly full plate away from her.

"You didn't finish your breakfast," Tara said worriedly. Willow smiled at her.

"I'm just not really hungry right now." Tara nodded. She knew how much the current situation was weighing on her girlfriend.

"Just promise me you'll eat a full lunch."

"I will." They smiled at each other before Willow moved to push Buffy. Joyce gratefully let her take her place as she went to pull the van around. The witches smiled at each other for a minute before Willow pushed Buffy into the hallway.

"Willow isn't staying?" Andrew asked. He didn't like it when his routine was disturbed.

"No," Giles told him, "but I will be staying."

"Oh," Andrew said as he started cleaning up. The others finished their dinner and got ready to leave while Giles slowly sipped his tea. After they waited for a few minutes Andrew turned to Giles. "Was there something you wanted me to do or not do?" he asked, unsure of what Giles wanted. He didn't spend much time with him.

"Just take care of the twins," Giles said, smiling softly. "I'll be spending most of my time with Ethan."

"I can do that," he said energetically. He began his usual routine as Giles slowly sipped his tea and tried to figure out what to do with his once best friend.


	7. Chapter 7

Warnings and disclaimer in Chapter 1. Enjoy.

* * *

"Giles," Anya greeted when he stepped through the door to The Magic Box. "You came to help me close up?"

"Not quite," he said, knowing the shop wouldn't close for another few hours. "Dawn came home from school and I took the chance to make my escape."

"You left Dawn alone with Ethan?" Joyce demanded as she came in from The Gallery.

"Andrew is still there," Giles said apologetically as he followed her into her office. "I know that's little consolation, but I did convince Ethan to give me back the key to the cell."

"How did you do that?" Joyce asked as she headed to the small couch in her office. Buffy was already there, laying on the couch as her mother obviously tried to get her to sleep. Joyce lifted her daughter up and slid behind her, pulling her daughter back into her lap and slowly stroking her hair. Her eyes slowly started closing, though she was fighting it.

"I calmed down to the point where he didn't fear for his life," he grinned. She returned his smile. "How was she today?" he asked quietly. Joyce sighed and looked down at her finally sleeping daughter.

"She kept trying to leave," she admitted. "She won't eat. She won't sleep. I'm at my wits end." She looked at him hard. "Why does she keep trying to go to Ethan?"

"I don't know," he admitted. "I'm assuming it's some sort of conditioning response, especially if she thinks he is one of her Masters. But I haven't the foggiest idea how to break her of the habit."

"I was thinking," Joyce started timidly, before glancing down to make sure her daughter was asleep. "Dr. Hansen has been asking Ben to schedule a follow up appointment down in L.A. He's been hesitant, but they've really been pushing these last few weeks."

"When did he tell you this?" Giles asked.

"At her last check up," she told him. "Maybe it would be a good idea to go." Giles was quiet for a long time.

"Are you concerned for her health?" he asked carefully.

"No," she shook her head, "at least not like that. Ben is doing a great job, but it never hurts to double check, especially now."

"Because of Ethan," he said knowingly. He sighed heavily, understanding exactly why she was saying this. "A follow up wouldn't take much more than a day," he reminded her, "even in L.A." She shrugged.

"So I'll turn it into a long weekend in L.A. Will that be long enough to get rid of Ethan?"

"I'm not sure," he told her. "I'm not even sure why he's here." Buffy started whimpering slightly, her body shifting in her sleep. Joyce soothed her back into a peaceful sleep. "I'll figure it out."

"You always do," Joyce smiled reassuredly before easing herself out from under her daughter. Buffy slept on, though she whimpered slightly at the change of position. "I'm going to call Ben," she said. Giles nodded, shifting his sleeping Slayer enough to slide under her. He soothed her back to sleep as he settled into the couch. Joyce smiled as she picked up the phone. A few minutes later she hung up. "They can get us in the day after tomorrow."

"Did you want to take anyone else?" he asked. She thought about it for a moment.

"No," she said after a minute. "I think it will be hard enough with just Buffy." He nodded. "Are you good to watch her for a while? I've got a lot to do if I want to leave so soon."

"We'll be fine," he nodded. "This is surprisingly comfortable." As if agreeing Buffy shifted, sighing contentedly. Giles smiled down at her fondly. Joyce watched them for a minute before turning back to her work. Willow helpfully brought Giles a book and he happily read throughout the early evening, Buffy sleeping soundly on his lap. Even engrossed in his book, he knew immediately when her dreams shifted into nightmares. "Buffy," he soothed quietly, unprepared when her eyes opened unexpectedly. She shifted away from him, caught up in her latest nightmare, but he held tight. The commotion brought Joyce racing in, but she stayed by the doorway and watched Giles handle the situation. He continued to soothe her until she regained her bearings. "Good evening," he greeted when she turned her face to look at him. She smiled brightly, looking around the room before she reached out to pick up the book he put down.

"Maybe not that one," Joyce said, moving to intercept her. She took the book and placed it on her desk. Ever since they caught Spike reading to her, they discovered she loved to curl up with someone and have them read out loud. Since then she always had two or three books in a pocket of her wheelchair. As much as she loved books though, Joyce thought she might object to the book Giles was reading, the latest edition of a demonology index he just got from the Council. "Let's try this one instead," she said, grabbing one of her books from her chair and handing it to Giles.

"Little Women," Giles groaned, but reached for the book. Buffy pulled herself up until she was leaning against his side instead of over his lap while he opened the book to the indicated page. He put his arm around her and she laid her head on his chest then he started reading. They were both content for the next few hours.

* * *

"Excuse me?" Tara looked up from the counter to see the elderly couple entering the shop.

"Can I help you?" she asked, smiling brightly as she moved from behind the counter and the piles of paperwork she had been working on.

"I hope so," the elderly woman said. She moved toward the counter after giving the store a cursory glance, while her husband examined the displays a bit more intensely. "I'm looking for the proprietor of this establishment."

"The p..proprietor?" Tara asked, stuttering slightly. Not from nerves; being welcomed into this group that loved and respected each other helped her overcome her fear of strangers years ago. This stutter was from fear. The last few years when things came looking for Joyce it was usually some demons looking for revenge on the Slayer and taking the next best thing; her mother's life. These two looked completely normal, but you never could tell around here.

"I'm sorry, but the proprietor is not available at the moment," Willow said, catching her stutter and moving to the other side of the counter with her girlfriend. "We would be happy to pass along a message." The elderly woman opened her mouth to say something else when they were disrupted by Dawn coming through the side door. She was in mid conversation with someone in The Magic Box as she was looking behind her as she approached the counter.

"I see it," she called over her shoulder as she approached the counter. "I don't know how it got mixed up with mom's things. Even I can't pretend it's art. Excuse me," she mumbled when she realized there were potential customers in the store. She quickly reached for her notebook, her hand freezing just a few inches from it when she realized who was there. With wide eyes she turned to the elderly couple. "Grandma. Grandpa. What a surprise."

"Hello Dawn," the elderly woman smiled briefly before noticing the baby in her arms. "And who is this?"

"This is Billy," she said, hugging the baby tightly. "And this it Tara and Willow," she introduced them quickly. "Guys, these are my grandparents, Irene and Steven Summers."

"Nice to meet you," Tara said politely while Willow's gaze kept flicking between Dawn and the two elders. "We'll just be in the office," she told them, throwing a concerned look Dawn's way. Dawn simply nodded, watching as Tara grabbed Willow's hand before making a quick escape. Dawn sighed before turning back to her grandparents.

"Is he the reason you did not graduate last year?" her grandmother asked critically, nodding to the baby.

"No," Dawn said, taking a deep, steadying breath before confronting her grandmother. "The reason I didn't graduate last year is because a few years ago our High School was destroyed. The administration focused on the Seniors, while it was decided the Freshman class would just retake the year."

"Oh," her grandmother sounded appropriately chastised. "Why didn't Joyce tell us."

"We had a lot going on here," Dawn said simply. She closed her eyes, allowing the memories of her mother sick as Glory tried to destroy their lives to wash over her momentarily, before forcing it back in the corner of her mind. She forced a smile on her face as she opened her eyes and faced the elderly woman. "What brings you by?"

"We were looking for your mother," Irene told her simply. "We drove by the house, but there was nothing but an overgrown field with the charred remains of a house."

"Yeah," Dawn told her. "We don't live there anymore. We had trouble with," she paused for a minute before shrugging, "rival gangs on PCP."

"We knew she owned the store and thought we would try here," her grandfather added, stepping up and giving her a quick hug.

"Well it worked, kinda," Dawn said, "cause you found me, but you missed mom. She's out of town for the weekend."

"And she left you alone," Irene said disapprovingly, "with this young one."

"Well," Dawn started, unsure how exactly to explain the situation without actually explaining it. She was distracted when the door opened again and her Aunt Nancy walked in followed by another. "Dad?" she asked in a whisper.

"Dawn," he whispered, coming over to give her a big hug. She froze, unable to process what was happening. He pulled back and Dawn stood there in shock. She glanced over at the door, unsurprised to find Giles and Anya standing in the doorway, watching the scene unfold.

"Dad," she managed to get out. "You look… different." He gave her a small, self-depreciating smile. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to check on Buffy," he started, shifting nervously from side to side before remembering who he was talking to. "And you and your mother of course."

"Well, you just missed both of them," Dawn said, shifting Billy slightly out of nerves. Hank saw the baby and reached out a shaking hand, stopping just short of touching him. Dawn subconsciously pulled Billy closer. "She went with mom out of town. They should be back in a few days, depending on how things go."

"What things?" her aunt asked. Dawn opened her mouth uncertainly and closed it again, looking at the group behind her helplessly.

"If it is only a couple of days we can wait," Irene said, glancing at her son intensely. He had started rocking back and forth, mumbling to himself quietly. "I'm sure there is a hotel around here where we can spend a few nights."

"No!" Dawn shouted, causing the family to jump. "It's just, you don't need to go to a hotel. You can stay with us."

"We don't want to impose," Steven said gently.

"It's okay. We have plenty of room. And that way when mom and Buffy get back you can see them right away." Her grandmother gave her a small, forced smile.

"I suppose we can see you home and then decide," she said. "At least then we'll know where you are when we visit." Dawn forced a smile on her face.

"That would be great," she forced out. Her grandfather nodded.

"We'll just go get the car," he said, indicating the family to follow him. "We weren't sure where the store was exactly so we parked at the end of Main Street." The others nodded as they followed him out. Dawn waved until the door closed, then her hand fell limply to her side. She turned to the gang gathered around the doorway, unsurprised to see Tara and Willow join them as soon as the shop door closed. "Hey guys," she said too cheerfully as she grabbed her notebook and headed back into The Magic Box. She could feel their eyes on her as she put the notebook into her backpack.

"So that was your father?" Giles asked. He was trying for casual, but it came out a bit strained.

"Yeah," Dawn told them as she closed up her school books. She looked up abruptly when she realized what she said and looked into Giles's eyes. "I mean, that was Hank. And his parents and sister."

"You're not close?" Anya asked with her usual bluntness. Dawn sighed.

"Hank tried, at least at first." Giles nodded, remembering the early days when Buffy and Dawn still spent summers and weekends with their father. "Mom never tried to keep Hank or his family out of our lives, but as we grew older he tried less and less. His family kinda followed suit. I think the last time we heard from them was Buffy's graduation, and that was a congratulatory phone call."

"And now you're inviting them to you home," Anya frowned. "These people are complete strangers to you and you're inviting them into your home?"

"They're still family, even if they are completely selfish bastards," Dawn told her.

"What about your houseguest?" Giles asked. Dawn frowned.

"Can you stay with him?" she suggested. He raised an eyebrow. "Not that I don't love having him there, but they are family and I don't want them to have to stay in a hotel. And I know mom would agree with me."

"I understand," he relented. "I can stay for a few days." They watched as she packed up her things. "We'll be over for dinner." Dawn nodded, knowing they would all show up just to make sure she was okay. She also knew that she only needed to say the word for Giles and the rest to run her family out of town. That thought caused her to smile.

"Okay," she said, juggling the baby for a minute before Willow stepped up and took him. They looked up as a car pulled up to the curb. Dawn took a deep breath before leaving the store.

"Are you ready to go?" her aunt asked, rolling down the window so they could talk. "What about your baby?" Dawn rolled her eyes.

"First, he is not my baby. Second, everybody here has helped take care of him. He'll be fine."

"Of course," her grandmother announced. "Whenever you're ready." Dawn nodded, grabbing her backpack before getting into their car. She climbed into the backseat next to her aunt. They chatted casually as Dawn directed them toward the house, a feeling of dread settling in the pit of her stomach.


	8. Chapter 8

Warnings and disclaimer in chapter 1. Enjoy.

* * *

The chatter died as they pulled up to the gate and they got their first glance at the property. "Oh my," her grandmother stared open-mouthed when Dawn got out and typed in the code to open the gate. Dawn didn't bother getting back into the car as it passed. Instead she just closed the gate and started walking down the driveway, leaving her grandmother driving slowly behind her as the occupants stared at the property and houses dumbfoundedly.

"You live here?" her grandfather asked when they finally stopped in front of the largest, most majestic house they had ever seen. Her family was slowly getting out of the car, staring around in awe as they continued to look around them. Dawn smiled at their reactions.

"With mom and Buffy," Dawn said as they slowly moved up the entryway.

"It's so big," her grandmother said. Dawn shrugged.

"We have a lot of guests," she told them. "Between The Gallery and The Magic Box it seems there's always more people here than just us."

"The Magic Box?" Hank asked.

"The shop next door to The Gallery," she explained as she dug in her backpack for the keys. "That's Giles's shop. He and mom have sort of formed a partnership."

"Are they a couple?" Hank asked warily.

"They're friends," she answered. "Really good friends. That's his house over there." She pointed to the house on the right. "We're all friends here."

"All?" her grandmother asked. Dawn rolled her eyes.

"Everyone who was lurking in the background at The Gallery," she told them as she unlocked the door. "They own the other houses here. They'll be here for dinner."

"What?" her grandmother asked. Dawn shrugged as she stepped in, placing her backpack down as she led them inside. They followed, automatically looking around. "Who's that?" she asked, when sounds were heard coming from the kitchen.

"It's just Andrew," she said, heading that way. "He helps out around here. He likes to cook." She led them to the kitchen, freezing when she saw who was at the stove.

"If you're looking for that delightful young man, he needed to run to the store. I admit he is marvelous in the kitchen, but his tea making skills could use some work. However I was certain that Ripper would have a secret stash somewhere around here."

"Ethan," she hissed, grabbing her cell phone and dialing the familiar number. "What are you doing out of your cage?"

"You could say I was evicted," he told her calmly, turning back when he heard the teapot start to whine. He quickly moved the kettle from the burner before turning back to her. "Tea?" he offered as he poured himself a cup.

"What do you mean you were evicted?" she demanded as someone answered. "Ethan's free," she said into the phone. She didn't even bother ending the call. Instead she just glared at the Englishman.

"Suit yourself," he said as he finished making his tea. She glared, but then heard a growl coming from the basement. She glanced at the door.

"What was that?" her grandfather asked. Dawn glanced back at them. Her family gathered around the island, looking around the kitchen curiously.

"Umm," Dawn thought hard, looking back at them. "That's our dog. We put him down there during the day. He's not quite trained yet." That explanation mollified them and they began discussing the house amongst themselves. "I'm just gonna go check on him."

"You might need this," Ethan said, smirking, as he slid a stake across the island. "To play fetch," he added, seeing the confused look in their eyes.

"Right," she said, picking up the stake and putting it casually in her pocket. She looked uncertainly between the warlock and her family until a louder growl could be heard along with some banging on the bars.

"I won't be going anywhere," Ethan reassured her as he picked up his tea and started sipping. "Don't want good tea to go to waste."

"Giles is on his way," she warned before she moved to the door. She descended the stairs carefully, glancing around the doorway before entering. Spike was inside the cell, covered in blood and gore. He looked up when he heard her and she couldn't help the gasp that came out of her mouth. He was in full game face.

"Niblet?" he asked uncertainly.

"Spike?" she asked, heading toward the cage. "What happened?"

"Don't!" he shouted as he started moving. Not toward her, but away. He cowered in the corner like an animal. "I don't want to hurt you."

"What happened?" she asked, slowly moving forward. She slowly reached in her pocket and pulled out the stake.

"I can smell you," he said, looking at her like a hunter looks at his prey. His demon was totally in control. "Want to eat you," he said, moving stealthily from the corner. "Want to drink you more than I've ever wanted anything."

"Spike," she asked uncertainly. He moved a bit closer, the blood gleaming from his face and body.

"Oh my God!" Both Dawn and Spike turned at the unexpected voice. Dawn moved closer to the doorway, while the interruption broke Spike out of the trance he was in.

"Dad?" she started uncertainly. He took a step inside, but couldn't keep his eyes off the cage. "Spike?"

"Don't want to hurt you Niblet," he said, cowering in the corner again. "I'm not strong enough."

"What is that?" Hank asked, standing protectively in front of his daughter. "Is that a vampire?"

"What?" she asked, her whole world falling apart around her, but he wasn't paying attention as he muttered to himself.

"She was right. All this time she was right and I ignored her." He took a step closer and Spike charged him, straining to get him through the bars. Dawn moved instinctively as she heard footsteps on the stairs. Her aunt burst through the doorway as Dawn reached the only weapons cabinet Joyce allowed in the house.

"What in the world?" Dawn heard behind her as she typed in the code to unlock the door. "Hank?" She ignored her aunt as she pulled the gun from the rack and expertly loaded it.

"Move," she ordered once she turned around. Their gazes moved from Spike to her. She could see the surprise in their eyes, but it was quickly replaced with self-preservation as they dove back toward the door. She fired two rounds inside the cell as she heard even more steps on the stairs. She turned to the door, the rifle still in her hands, and tried to come up with an explanation for her family. She was relieved when it wasn't her grandparents coming down the stairs, but Giles, Willow, and Xander.

"What is going on here?" her aunt asked once she and Hank regained their footing. Hank turned to her.

"Everything Buffy told me was true," he said shakily. "And I abandoned them." Nancy looked shocked as she took in the scene. Dawn was casually putting the rifle back in the cabinet, making sure it was unloaded and secure before shutting and locking the case once more. Giles and Xander headed toward Spike, while Willow stood next to the Summers uncertainly.

"What's wrong with Spike?" Dawn asked when she made her way back to the cage.

"I'm not sure," Giles said, taking in the blood soaked form. "Did he say anything to you?"

"Only that he didn't want to hurt me," she said. "Then it was like something went off in his brain and he couldn't stop himself." She looked to Giles. "It was like the demon was in complete control." Giles frowned and picked up the stake Dawn had dropped. "You can't," she protested, immediately putting herself between the Watcher and the vampire. He smiled at her.

"I'm not," he told her, handing her the stake, "at least not yet." She took the stake and carefully put it in his pocket. "But perhaps we should take this opportunity to clean him up a bit?" Xander nodded and walked to the far wall where the key was hanging.

"Maybe we should think about some added security," he said, passing the key to Giles.

"Chains at the least," Giles said before remembering their guests. "Dawn. Can you escort your father and aunt back upstairs? And keep an eye on our other guests. Perhaps Willow can help you." Willow nodded, but Dawn refused to move.

"You're not gonna hurt him are you?" she asked, looking at the bleached blonde vampire. "He didn't want to hurt me."

"I won't. I promise," he said. She smiled at him before turning and facing her relatives.

"Let's go back upstairs."

"What just happened?" her aunt Nancy asked as she followed her niece up the stairs.

"Our dog was just a little upset," Dawn said, looking pointedly at her grandparents. Her dad and aunt took the hint.

"Right," Hank said, just as Andrew burst into the kitchen holding various shopping bags.

"Dinner should be ready in about an hour," he said, not noticing the extra people.

"Will there be enough for extra?" Willow asked. Andrew looked up at her question, paling slightly at the extra people he didn't know.

"These are my grandparents," Dawn told him, "and my father and aunt. They will be staying with us for a few days."

"Nice to meet you," Andrew said politely, but his face was streaked with fear and his eyes never left Dawn's. She nodded reassuringly.

"Will there be enough or do we need to go back to the store?" Willow asked again. Andrew shifted his gaze to her.

"Yes," he said as he thought about what he was making and what he had bought. "What about?" his eyes flickered to Ethan.

"Oh I'll be staying too," he said before turning to Dawn's grandparents. "Shall we go wait in the living room? Andrew here is a master in the kitchen, but he does get flustered if too many people watch."

"Of course," Irene said as she and her husband followed him through the hallway. They frowned at the few baby toys scattered throughout the living room, but sat down on the couch and had a delightful conversation with the Englishman. Willow followed silently, watching as they talked but not really participating. As soon as they were gone Nancy turned to Dawn.

"What is going on here?" she demanded. Dawn stayed silent, trying to think of what to tell her, but Hank beat her too it.

"Everything Buffy told me was true." He spoke in a soft, almost astounded voice, before turning to his sister. She huffed.

"Vampires can't be real," she said. "They just can't."

"I'm afraid they are," Giles said as he and Xander joined them from the basement.

"But Buffy was sick," Nancy said. "She had an episode."

"That's what I thought too," Hank whispered. "But I was wrong."

"Buffy has been fighting the forces of darkness since she was fifteen," Giles said. "Everything she tried to tell you was the truth."

"Buffy," Hank said as if in a dream before shaking his head and turning to Dawn. "I need to see her. Make sure she's okay. Where is she?"

"She's with mom," Dawn repeated. "They'll be back soon."

"Hank," Nancy said, putting a calming hand on his arm. "Why don't we go wait with mom and dad? It will be time for dinner soon then we can all get some sleep."

"Right," he said, shaking his head again. He started hugging himself and mumbling to himself as he left the kitchen. Nancy looked worried when he headed for the basement.

"Will he be okay down there?" she asked, ready to go drag him back out if necessary. Giles nodded.

"Spike is in chains and in the cage," he told her, "and I have the keys to both in my pocket." She nodded, sinking down onto a chair.

"Sorry about that," Nancy said as she watched the basement door longingly. "He hasn't been quite himself since he got back."

"Got back from where?" Dawn asked. Nancy looked at her.

"From prison." Dawn gasped and the others looked down in shock. "You didn't know?" she asked. Dawn shook her head.

"We haven't seen or heard from him in years," she said.

"That explains why you never wrote him or visited him while he was in prison," Nancy said. "I wondered." She poured herself a cup of coffee, staring at it while she gathered her thoughts. She absently watched as Andrew made dinner. "He didn't even tell us he was in prison," she said after a minute. "We didn't know until a doctor contacted us."

"A doctor," Dawn asked. "Was he hurt?"

"Not exactly," Nancy took a sip before facing her niece. "The doctor was a psychiatrist. Hank had a nervous breakdown in prison and was transferred to a state psychiatric hospital. The doctor was trying to find out anything that would help him. That's how we found out my brother was in jail." Giles frowned and Xander shuddered. They didn't even like the guy but they still felt sorry for him. "It's not as bad as it sounds," she continued. "He was able to get help, even finish out his prison sentence there. He's more or less the better now."

"What was he in prison for?" Dawn asked quietly.

"Tax fraud and embezzlement," she said. "He plead guilty. Twelve months in a minimum security facility." She looked at Dawn curiously. "He was transferred to the hospital about five months in. Once we found out we were able to visit him. He kept asking about Buffy, but at the same time he didn't want Buffy to know where he was or what happened."

"Did he ask about me?" Dawn looked hopeful.

"I'm sorry Dawn." Dawn nodded resignedly.

"He was released last month. He stayed with mom and dad, but they're getting older and can't really take care of him anymore. Not that they really want to now that he's gone crazy." Dawn nodded knowingly.

"Grandma and grandpa are a bit judgmental," Dawn explained. "If you're on their good side you can do no wrong, but if you're not they really don't want anything to do with you." She didn't sound bitter, but they could all hear the disappointment in her voice.

"My brother was always the shining star of the family," Nancy said in the same disappointed tone Dawn used. "Now he's not. My parents, well, they're having a harder time adjusting to this new reality than Hank is." She was quiet for a minute, watching Andrew move around the kitchen. "He's going to come stay with me down south, but he insisted we visit with Joyce, Buffy, and you before we head down."

"And I can see he's really excited about that," Dawn mumbled. Her aunt gave her a sympathetic smile.

"He's changed Dawn," she said sadly. "I don't know what happened to him but he's changed."

"It might be too late," Dawn said just as Andrew approached the group.

"Dinner is almost ready."

"I'll go get your father," Giles said uncomfortably.

"I'll set the table," Xander offered. Dawn smiled weakly and led her aunt to the living room, where Ethan was doing a charming job of keeping her grandparents entertained. Dawn and Nancy joined them and it took a second for Dawn to realize Ethan never took his eyes of Willow for more than a second.

"I'll go help Xander," Willow said once the door opened and Tara came in. She rushed passed, only stopping long enough for Tara to give her shoulder a quick squeeze. Tara turned to Dawn.

"Everything OK?" she asked quietly. Dawn nodded and she turned her attention to the others in the room for the first time. Ethan quieted temporarily, but he quickly started chatting again. He wore his most charming smile and it was clear the elder Summers were infatuated with him. Tara looked back at Dawn. "Anya has them over at her place. She wasn't sure if she should bring them over or not." Dawn sighed, looking over at her extended family.

"I guess they have a right to know," she said, before adding, "it might scare them away faster." Tara nodded and left, only to return a few minutes later with Anya and the twins. Talk in the living room stopped completely as Ethan turned his full gaze on the twins.

"Children," he muttered, as if the concept was foreign to him. Giles led Hank into the room at that moment and quickly headed over to Ethan, putting a hand on his shoulder in warning.

"So," Dawn said after a few uncomfortable minutes, "you already met Billy and this is Alex." She pulled the girl from Anya's arms, hugging her intently like a shield. Her grandmother frowned at the children.

"Are they yours?" she asked coldly, looking from Anya to Tara. Both girls shook their heads mutely. Hank took one step forward, stretching his hand out to touch them but stopped short, just like before.

"They are," Dawn started hesitantly, "my brother and sister."

"Joyce was pregnant again?" Steven asked.

"Not exactly," Dawn threw a pleading look Giles, who jumped in.

"Joyce adopted them," he said calmly, his hand never leaving Ethan's shoulder. "Their mother was a close friend of ours. She died in childbirth."

"And she had no one else to take her children?" Irene asked haughtily. "She would burden my former daughter in law with this task?"

"They're not a burden," Dawn almost yelled at her. "We love them and we love having them here." Irene was getting ready to say something else when Andrew entered.

"Dinner is ready," he announced, oblivious to the growing tension in the room. He headed toward the dining room.

"Is he the father?" Irene asked as they followed him. Dawn shuddered at the suggestion.

"God I hope not," Giles said as he brought up the rear. Andrew immediately took the kids and placed them in their high chairs. Everyone took their usual spots, leaving the head of the table empty. Irene shrugged before heading there, the rest of the family following her. Ethan happily picked up the conversation where it left off, and somehow they made it through the most awkward family dinner they ever had. When they were done Dawn showed them to their rooms. The family went to bed early, claiming tiredness from their long day of travel. Meanwhile, the Scoobies gathered in the living room.

"She has children," Ethan spoke in amazement. Giles growled, but didn't refute.

"We can wipe his memory," Willow suggested. "Make him forget the entire thing."

"That wouldn't work," Ethan told her, his smile fading somewhat when he looked at her. "I can feel their power. But I can see why you would suggest something so radical."

"What?" Willow asked, but Ethan ignored her.

"What would you suggest?" Giles asked. Ethan smiled at him.

"I love children. The amount of chaos they bring is to die for. Who else can cause so much mischief and get away completely free."

"Besides you," Giles remarked sarcastically as Dawn rejoined them.

"So what's happening to Spike?" she asked, her hands on her hips.

"Spike?" Anya asked, but Giles sighed.

"I'm not sure," he admitted. Ethan scoffed but stayed silent. Giles rubbed his eyes tiredly. "He's safe right now, and more importantly secure."

"He wasn't gonna hurt me," Dawn insisted.

"That's why you felt the need to shoot him?" Xander asked sarcastically. Dawn sighed, but turned her eyes back to Giles.

"Whatever is happening to him isn't his choice. He didn't want to hurt me. Something's messing with his head."

"I agree," Giles admitted, looking over at Ethan carefully. "It's been a long day. I suggest we all get some sleep."

"You're not gonna stake him right?" Dawn asked. She needed to make sure Spike was okay.

"He'd want us to stake him," Tara said quietly, "if that was the only way to keep you safe. You know that." Dawn sighed.

"Just promise that you'll try to help him before you get stake happy."

"We will," Xander promised. Around him everyone nodded their heads. "It's late. Let's get some sleep." He looked to Dawn. "Do you want us to stay?" She shook her head but looked toward Giles.

"I will be staying," he said, eyeing Ethan again. "I don't trust Ethan here by himself."

"You wound me Ripper," Ethan said, smiling mischievously. "I suppose it will take more than entertaining the in laws to convince you I've left my evil ways behind." He took a deep, dramatic breath. "Very well. I see I have no choice. I shall let you chain me up." Giles smirked.

"I've got a better idea."


	9. Chapter 9

Thank you so much for the reviews. Yes, we will get the Buffy/Hank reunion, but it might not go the way you think it will. We will delve a bit more into Hank's story, but not quite yet.

And feel free to keep telling me any editing errors I make, even in the older stories, but please don't be offended or upset if I don't change them here. I feel that once the story goes online and is complete, it should stand proudly on its own, mistakes and all. I do fix any mistakes on my master copy though, so please point them out to me. And of course if it is a current story I will fix anything I can before I hit the complete box.

As for challenges and prompts, I really don't do any of those. The story pretty much plays out in my mind and I just write it down. And I have no idea where these stories come from.

Warnings and disclaimer in Chapter 1. Enjoy.

* * *

Dawn glared at her alarm clock as it blared at her. She longed to throw it at the wall and go back to sleep, but instead she forced her tired body out of bed. She stepped into the shower, letting the water cascade over her, hoping the heat would wake her up. After a minute of standing under the spray, she grabbed her shampoo and started her day. When she was finished she dressed quickly and made her way to the kitchen. She was not surprised to find she was the last one down.

"Good morning," Andrew smiled brightly at her. He was at his customary place by the stove. "Pancakes or french toast?" he asked, pushing a cup of coffee her direction.

"Pancakes," she said, taking a slow sip of the hot beverage. She glanced around the room. Her grandparents were sitting at one end of the island, sipping their own coffee and staring at Andrew curiously. He was apparently in the middle of a story, which he promptly resumed as he cooked Dawn's pancakes. Her dad and aunt were in the dining room, already eating whatever Andrew had cooked up. "Thanks," she said when he placed a plate of pancakes, bacon, and eggs in front of her.

"My lady," he bowed gracefully before turning to her grandparents. He got off on another one of his tangents, and Dawn had to fight to suppress the smile at the panicked look on their faces. She looked up when Giles and Ethan entered the room. Giles looked like he hadn't slept at all, which he probably hadn't she realized, while Ethan threw an annoyed look Andrew's way and proceeded to sit as far away from him as possible.

"Did you sleep at all?" Dawn asked when Giles came to sit next to her.

"A little," he told her, watching as Andrew put some water on for tea even as he continued his story. "I tried to keep alert to any disturbances."

"I take it we are disturbance free?" she asked. He nodded.

"And how were the twins last night?" he asked. Andrew put the boiling pot of water in front of him, along with various teas, milk, honey, and an empty mug. Giles started making his tea as he talked with Dawn.

"They were fine," she told him. "They woke up around 3, but I gave them their bottles and they went right back to sleep." She shared a smile with him. "Maybe we shouldn't tell that to mom. She might start getting dangerous thoughts in her head."

"They do love to torment your mother," Giles returned her smile, "especially in the middle of the night." He turned to Ethan. "Would you like some tea?"

"Kindness in the morning does not make up for what you did to me last night," Ethan growled. Giles smirked.

"Andrew was more than happy to have you," he said cheerfully. "He said you were the perfect houseguest." Ethan rolled his eyes.

"Why that boy still has bunk beds I'll never understand." He took the tea Giles handed him. "Did I pass your test Ripper?"

"The first of many I assure you," Giles said as he sipped his own tea. They took their plates over to the dining room, sitting across from the Summers. Dawn followed, quickly eating so she wouldn't be late for school. She gave a quick goodbye to her family as she raced out the door.

The day passed too quickly for her. She went straight home after school, something she rarely did nowadays. "I'm home," she called out as she dropped her backpack at the foot of the stairs.

"In here," Giles called from the living room. She cautiously approached.

"Where is everybody?" she asked. Giles had several volumes of his basic demon books open on the coffee table. Her dad and aunt were staring at him in shock, while Ethan was playing with the twins on the floor.

"I convinced Andrew to help at the shop today," Giles explained. "And your grandparents decided to take advantage of the nice weather and explore the town."

"And we've been having a lovely conversation about this new world your father and aunt suddenly find themselves in," Ethan said, as he tickled Billy. The baby laughed loudly, reaching for the chaos mage.

"Dad?" Dawn asked as she moved closer. "Aunt Nancy?" Her aunt turned towards her.

"It's a bit overwhelming," she said honestly. Dawn glanced at the books Giles had shared with them. She knew he had just given them the supernatural introductory speech.

"It gets easier," she told them. "And I doubt demons will target you once you leave. They've learned not to piss off Buffy by doing stuff like that." Nancy nodded but Hank looked like he was about to pass out.

"Buffy was telling the truth," he said over and over again. Dawn threw a concerned glance to Giles.

"I think that's enough for one day," he said, closing the books he brought out. "Dawn, could you help me put these away?"

"Sure," she said, gathering up the books in her arms. "I have homework and SAT prep anyway. The library is my next stop." Giles nodded and followed her to the library, his arms full of books as well. Dawn put her stack on the table and left to get her backpack. She was just about to go back to the library when there was a knock on her door. "Giles," she called back even as she went to answer. Very few people made it past their security and to their door. "Are we expecting anyone?"

"No," he called out as he joined her. Ethan looked up from the living room, but made no move to join them. Dawn glared at him and he raised his hands innocently. Once Giles was there she opened the door.

"Wesley?" she asked, seeing the group standing on the other side of the door. "Gunn? Fred? What are you guys doing here?" She stepped back and they let themselves into the house.

"Is anything wrong?" Giles asked. He led them into the living room.

"We were going to ask you the same question," Wesley said, eyeing the extras in the room curiously. Nancy stood up and pulled her brother to his feet.

"Why don't we take a walk?" she suggested. "Give ourselves time to adjust." Hank nodded and let her pull him out of the house. Ethan stood to leave, but Giles put a warning hand on his shoulder.

"Not you," he said coldly.

"I was merely getting a bottle for the children," he said. "They seem a bit peckish."

"They're fine," Giles growled. Ethan sighed, but sat back down.

"Are these them?" Fred asked, getting to her knees so she could see the kids better. She reached out a hand and Billy grabbed onto her finger. "They're so cute." Gunn joined her and soon they were both on the floor playing with the kids.

"Angel told us," Wesley explained as he watched his normally serious coworkers suddenly making baby sounds and funny faces.

"Did he tell anyone else?" he asked. Giles had gone to Angel to see if the vampire could use the resources of Wolfram and Hart to help search for the other children. He knew Angel would tell his people, but worried how much further their secret would spread.

"No," Wesley shook his head. "This is a matter being handled by Angel Investigations." Giles nodded his appreciation.

"So what brings you to Sunnydale?" The others looked up.

"Angelus," Wesley said uncomfortably.

"Angel lost his soul?" Dawn asked, close to panicking.

"He thinks he did," Gunn said, standing up and joining them. "He locked himself in his office, in a cage, in chains. And he kept ranting about hurting Buffy."

"But Cordelia doesn't think so," Fred added as she joined the group. "She said he's not stalkery enough for Angelus."

"It was creepy enough for me," Gunn said. "If I didn't know how he usually is I would have staked him myself. If Angelus was worse I don't know how you guys managed."

"Since Cordelia is the only one who has experienced Angelus, she stayed behind to keep an eye on him. But something is definitely wrong," Wesley added. "He begged us to come protect Buffy in between threatening to turn her."

"It's almost like his demon is out of control," Fred added.

"Just like Spike," Dawn said, looking at Giles.

"What about Spike?" Wesley asked. Giles look sheepishly.

"He's downstairs, chained up inside the cell," he told them. He led the former Watcher downstairs. A few minutes later they reentered the living room.

"Just like Angel," Wesley said after a minute. "And you have no idea what could be affecting them?"

"No," Giles admitted. He looked over at Ethan. "We've had our own crisis to deal with and I haven't had time to figure out what is wrong with him. But now I'm convinced it is related. Ethan. What have you done?"

"Nothing," he said. "I went to see you the second I got into town and have been enjoying your hospitality ever since. I haven't had time to do anything."

"But you know something," Giles demanded.

"You don't feel it in the air?" he asked seriously. Giles shook his head. "You've really let yourself go haven't you Ripper."

"What are you talking about?" Gunn asked.

"There's magic in the air," Ethan smiled, holding his hand out as if he could feel something. "It's not the normal Hellmouth energy either. And it's getting stronger."

"Magic," Giles repeated. "And you expect me to believe you have nothing to do with it."

"I was not the one seeking out powerful mages for a coven," Ethan argued. "But if I had known your witch was going to do this I might have joined."

"Willow is not behind this," he said angrily. Wesley put a restraining hand on the Watcher.

"Do what exactly?" Wesley asked. "And how do you know there's magic involved?"

"One of the downsides of not belonging to a coven is power," Ethan explained, "or lack thereof. A coven will share power amongst its members."

"Which makes them much more powerful than a solitary magician," Wesley finished. "That is basic magic."

"A coven is more powerful, but the individual has less control over their own magic," Ethan finished. "I decided early on that there was only one man I would ever share my power with. When he went back to the Council, I vowed never to join a coven and remain a solitary magician for the rest of my life."

"Interesting," Gunn said, sounding extremely bored. "And this helps us how?"

"Solitary magicians develop a sixth sense about magic, rather like water rippling in a pond. Whenever a large spell is cast we are able to use the excess magic for our own desires." He raised his hand, waving it through the air in front of him. "I can feel magic coursing through the city."

"So whatever is affecting them is magical?" Fred asked. Ethan nodded. "Well that at least narrows it down. How many witches or warlocks are powerful enough to cast something like this?"

"Only two that I know of," Giles said, rubbing his eyes tiredly. "And they'll both be here for dinner."

"You can't think Willow did this," Dawn told him. "She hasn't been casting anything since Ethan came, and she's gotten so much better from a few years ago. And I know Tara would never cast anything that would harm anybody, even demons."

"I agree," Giles told her, "but we can't ignore the facts." He turned to Ethan. "Out of curiosity, which spell would you have cast to cause this kind of damage?" Ethan looked thoughtful for a moment.

"It depends what the end play is," he said. He turned to Wesley. "You said your vampire kept going on about hurting the Slayer?" Wesley nodded. "And the vampire downstairs keeps going on about hurting everybody. This could be an elaborate assassination attempt, though I must say it's a bit extravagant, even for my taste."

"Assassination?" Fred said thoughtfully. "How would you do something like that?"

"Well, it couldn't be done directly. As much as I would love it, you can't magically take over control of another person. Especially if you were trying to get that person to do something he or she wouldn't normally do. That would leave an indirect route." He thought for a moment before continuing. "There's always using the subconscious: dream weaving, hypnosis, that sort of thing. But it takes weeks, if not months to get results from those and it sounds like your demons went crazy overnight. There's always the classic coercion, but since nobody has been kidnapped and held for ransom." He looked around. "Where is your lovely bird Ripper?"

"She and Buffy are in L.A.," he said, mainly for the benefit of Angel's group, "and if anyone kidnapped her they would have Buffy also and there would be no need for this type of spell."

"True," Ethan admitted.

"So let me get this straight," Gunn said, leaving the babies and coming over to the group. He looked at Ethan. "You used to be evil."

"Not evil," he defended himself. "Just chaotic. Mischievous. Or in other words, fun."

"Right," Gunn said disbelievingly. "So if you were trying to kill the Slayer, what would you do?" Ethan thought for a minute.

"If it was me I'd use the abundance of demons around as a mob."

"But the majority of demons that live here are peaceful," Giles argued.

"Which is why I would need a spell that would target every demon species and a lot of power behind it. More than a solitary magician would have. I would probably need a coven filled with the most powerful sorcerers of our time."

"But how would you do it?" Fred asked. "How would you get them to act against their nature?"

"They already are love," Ethan smiled mischievously. "Demon's do not live in the world of man. They do not hold down a job so they can pay rent and put food on the table. They don't go to school or discuss politics. They kill, and maim, and destroy. Every day they live peacefully they act against their nature. A simple spell to remind them of the animals they truly are is not hard, but to spread it out to the whole city would need power. Then you simply hope one of those newly awakened, animalistic demons takes out your target."

"It's simple," Wesley said, but then he shook his head. "But why would it work on Angel? He's nowhere near Sunnydale. And none of the demons in L.A. seem to be affected."

"Through Spike," Giles said. "They are bonded through their demonic bloodline. As Spike's Sire, Angel will feel anything particularly strong that Spike feels. Especially if they are relatively close."

"I thought Drusilla Sired Spike," Wesley said, confused. Giles sighed.

"She started the process, but then got distracted. Angelus took it upon himself to complete the process, eventually claiming him as a Childe along with Drusilla."

"So he has two Sires?" Fred asked, intrigued by this development. She hadn't gotten to know Spike very well in the few times the groups interacted, but was finding him intriguing. "Maybe that's why he's so different from other vampires."

"Maybe," Giles conceded. "Either way if there is some spell trying to bring his demon to the forefront it's possible it is doing the same with Angel. Also Drusilla, if she's anywhere close."

"Which she isn't," Wesley added. "Our last reports had her in South America. Hopefully she just stays there."

"Wait," Dawn said, holding up a hand. "If there's a spell causing all demons in Sunnydale to go all grrr… arrggg, why is Spike the only one affected?"

"He easily is the most violent demon residing in Sunnydale," Giles said. "Even if every demon who lives here is suddenly overcome with violent thoughts and outbursts, the majority are not exactly scary, violent, or even intimidating. For example, it would take a lot to stir Clem to violence, and even more for that violence to be effective." Dawn sighed. He was right. She had met Clem years ago, and he was still one of her favorite non-human friends, even if he acted a little weird at times.

"So how do we stop it?" Gunn asked, pulling his homemade scythe out.

"We find the witch or warlock and stop them," Giles said.

"The witch that will be coming over for dinner later tonight," Ethan pointed out.

"Willow didn't do this!" Dawn shouted.

"She tried to recruit me to her coven!" Ethan countered. Their voices were raised.

"Enough!" Giles stepped between the two of them. "Shouting at each other isn't going to help anyone!" The two of them just glared at each other until Ethan backed down.

"Sorry Ripper," he said. Giles pinched the bridge of his nose in an effort to keep the headache he could feel coming away.

"We won't accuse Willow without proof," he said sternly, "but we also can't ignore the fact that Willow is one of a handful of people who could pull this off. In the meantime, it is getting dark. If Ethan is right, and he probably is, our normally peaceful demons might start rioting."

"We can help with that," Gunn said, hefting his scythe. "We can patrol and keep everything safe."

"I would prefer you not kill my neighbors just yet," Giles said. "Patrol with tranquilizer rifles please." Gunn nodded.

"I would like to see Spike," Fred spoke up. "Compare his condition with Angel."

"Of course," Giles said. He looked at Dawn. "Can you take her?"

"Sure," she shrugged. "I'll grab some guns and tranqs while I'm down there." Giles nodded and she led Fred away. Soon she reappeared with the rifles.

"How will we know if it's a good demon or a bad one?" Gunn asked as he expertly loaded the gun and tucked the extra tranquilizer darts in his pockets.

"One of us will have to go with you. We'll be able to tell which ones you can shoot and which ones you can kill." Gunn and Wesley nodded as they finished gearing up. They moved to the hallway just as the door opened. Hank Summers and his family stood on the threshold, staring at the heavily armed men.

"Paintball competition," Wesley explained before looking at his watch. "Which we're late for. If you will excuse us." They didn't give the family any time to question, instead moving across the drive to where their car was parked.

"They must take paintball very seriously," Irene Summers said disapprovingly. She marched past the group and into the kitchen. "Is dinner not ready yet? It's nearly dinner time." Giles sighed as he stepped into the kitchen and began making dinner. He would be nice to these people, if only for Buffy and Dawn.


	10. Chapter 10

Thanks for the catch. I've fixed that mistake.

Warnings and disclaimer in Chapter 1. Enjoy.

* * *

The next day came without any incidents. Angel's group took over patrol, with Xander and Anya. It was a relatively normal patrol. The only difference were the demons and vampires seemed much more animalistic than normal, giving credence to Ethan's theory.

Spike, however, was getting worse. He raged and screamed and hit the concrete wall continually, but he never tried getting out of the cage. There was a discussion about whether to feed him or not, but when Dawn pushed a blood packet through the bars he pushed it right back. They decided to follow his lead and not give him any blood until he actually asked for it. It was also decided someone would stay with him at all times. Spike was grateful when he was in his right mind, and furious the rest of the time.

Once again Dawn came right home after school. Her family was in the living room, being entertained by the twins. She glanced at them as she went by. "Anything?" she asked as she put her backpack down by the door in the library. Giles looked up from the pile of books he was surrounded by.

"It seems Ethan is correct," he said solemnly. Ethan smirked from his seat. "Tara and Willow have just confirmed there is a spell over the whole of Sunnydale." Dawn glanced over in the corner. Willow and Tara were curled up on the floor, various books spread out before them but it was obvious they were sleeping. "It is a very powerful spell and took a lot of energy to confirm," he explained.

"Right," Dawn said, pulling a book towards her. "So we're trying to figure out which spell?"

"Oh no," Ethan said. "We know the spell, or rather the nature of the spell." Giles glared at him.

"As Ethan suggested yesterday, the spell brings out the true demonic nature of the demons in Sunnydale," Wesley explained. "Knowing the exact spell won't help with this, since that is the natural way of things."

"The damage from the spell is done," Giles told her. "The demons are reminded of their own true demonic selves. That can't be undone."

"But they were demons before," Dawn argued, "and they chose to adapt to human ways of living."

"Yes, and I hope they will return to that way of thinking once the spell is removed."

"But don't we need to know the spell in order to remove it?" Dawn asked. Giles shook his head. "Okay, I'm confused."

"You are correct," Ethan contradicted his old friend. Giles glared at him again, but he just smirked. "If we were trying to stop the spell we would need to know which spell it was."

"If?" Dawn asked, turning back to Giles. "We aren't trying to break the spell?"

"Ethan," Giles glared one more time. "Do stop helping." Ethan smirked then turned his attention back to the book he was reading. Giles turned to Dawn.

"Okay, I'm really confused now," she said. "You are trying to help Spike right?"

"I never thought I would say this, but yes I am trying to help Spike." He pulled Dawn into a chair. "The problem is the spell that was cast was not inherently evil. It did not make demons more aggressive, simply reminded them of what they really are. If we tried to counter it, we would be forcing our beliefs onto the demonic population here."

"Which would be wrong, making us the bad guys," Dawn sighed. "You know this was much easier when everything was black and white."

"Tell me about it," Giles said, turning back to his book. "Explains why the Council has never changed though. Too much of a bloody headache."

"I would hate for them to be inconvenienced by doing the right thing," Wesley said without looking up. Dawn giggled.

"So if we're not trying to break the spell what are we doing?" she asked, turning serious again.

"We're trying to figure out how to stop the spell naturally," Wesley explained. "The spell may be benign, but it is still affecting the demonic members of the community. It's still pressuring them to go kill, specifically your sister."

"Think of it like a demon's conscience," Giles told her. "They have a constant presence telling them to kill. Hopefully if we remove that constant presence, they will go back to their peaceful ways and we can co-exist once more."

"And if not?" Dawn asked.

"My team is ready to do what is necessary," Wesley said, looking up. "Not that I want it to come to that."

"Wouldn't want that," Dawn said, glancing back at her backpack. "Do you need help?" Giles smiled at her, seeing where she was looking.

"I've got all the help I can handle right now," he said slyly. "You should focus on your schoolwork."

"Thanks," she said, standing up and grabbing her bag. "Not that I don't want to help you, but I have this really big project due that I really need to work on plus the SAT's are coming up soon." Giles sighed.

"Graduating with honors is not going to get your mother to agree," he said. She smirked.

"But it can't hurt. I'll be in the dining room if you need me." He nodded and she left the library to the Englishmen.

"Agree to what?" Wesley asked curiously.

"Backpacking through Europe after graduation," Giles told him.

"Oh what fun that could be," Ethan leaned back in his chair, his imagination taking off. "Think of the chaos you could cause. Show up wherever you want, no schedules or appointments, just chaos. Then just leave for the next city and do it again."

"We have enough chaos here at the moment," Giles said. Ethan sighed, but began researching again.

* * *

"Dawn?" Dawn looked up at the sound of her name. Andrew was in the kitchen, frantically waving her over. She sighed, saved her paper, and came over.

"Andrew," she replied.

"Dinner is almost ready," he told her, "but I had a small incident with the dinner rolls. Do you think you could run to the store and grab some more?"

"Why can't you go?" Dawn asked grumpily.

"Someone needs to stay and watch over dinner," he said. "Plus, if I go, I'd have to go past them." He shuddered as if that was the scariest thing he had ever done.

"Fine," Dawn rolled her eyes but agreed. "I'll brave my family and go to the store." Andrew gave her a hug before turning back to the stove. She grabbed her purse and headed into the hallway.

"Dawn?" her dad asked when he saw her reaching for her coat and keys.

"Dad?" she replied, walking into the living room. She reached over and tickled Alex.

"Are you going somewhere?" he asked, twitching subconsciously.

"Just running to the store," she told them. "It will only take a few minutes."

"But it's almost dark," her aunt piped up, looking over to the window.

"I'll be fine," she said. Her dad and aunt looked uncomfortably at her.

"Oh for God's sake Hank," her grandmother suddenly said. "She's just running to the store. It's not like she's going to be fighting for her life."

"We don't say things like that around here Grandma," Dawn said, trying to control her anger. She turned back to her dad. "I'll be fine. I've lived here almost ten years now remember."

"Right," Hank said, reaching out to his sister for reassurance. She grabbed his hand and held tightly. Dawn watched them for a second before leaving the house.

"The way they baby her," Irene shook her head. "It's a wonder these children aren't hers and Joyce is just taking responsibility."

"Now Irene," Steven said. "That's unfair. Dawn is a good kid." His wife huffed.

"I don't know how," she said snidely. "Nothing but negative influences here. With all these young adults barging into this house at all hours of the day. All of them living here, isolated, away from the town. Who knows what they do when we aren't here." She glanced over at her son. "Why you couldn't have taken the children is a mystery to me. You are much more fit to be a parent than Joyce ever was."

"Mom," Nancy defended her ex sister-in-law. "Joyce did the best she could. And you know the firm Hank joined wouldn't allow for him to have the children. Traveling around the world, never knowing where you were going to be from one week to the next. That's not any way to raise children." Her mother huffed again, but Hank didn't even notice. He was too busy staring out the window into the rapidly darkening night. He didn't even jump when the door opened unexpectedly.

"Is it time for dinner?" Xander asked as he and Anya entered the house.

"Almost," Andrew said as he went back to the kitchen. Xander and Anya went to wait in the living room, Anya possessively scooping up the children and settling them in her lap. Irene stared at her for a minute before sighing loudly and looking around the room with interest.

"Joyce certainly does have eclectic tastes," she murmured. "I expected something more stylized from an art dealer. Those paintings there," she said, pointing to the far wall. Everyone followed her finger.

"We got her those," Anya immediately spoke up. "They're from our honeymoon."

"They are lovely," she finished, forcing the false cheerfulness out of her mouth. "But they really don't go with anything else in the room. Especially those colored crystals by the door."

"Colored crystals?" Xander asked, looking between the paintings and Dawn's grandmother.

"To be honest they are the only things I would allow inside my own home," Irene kept talking. "How she was able to find pieces in those shades of red and green are beyond me."

"Red and green?" Anya asked, looking instinctively to where the Pythian Seeing crystals were kept. Xander followed her gaze before jumping to his feet.

"Giles!" he called up the stairs as he rushed out. Anya put the babies on the ground and followed him. They looked around outside before they heard a scream coming from the front gate. "Dawn!" he called as they took off in that direction.

"Xander!" she called back. They could see a fight breaking out and ran faster. Xander grabbed some rocks and threw them as he ran. It was enough to distract the vampires long enough for Dawn to get past the property line.

"Dawn!" Anya yelled as they got near the gate. She pulled Dawn into her arms, backing away from the threat while Xander confidently stood in front of them. No demons had ever been able to breach the wards on their property line.

"Drusilla," Dawn gasped as she tried to catch her breath.

"What?" Xander asked, only to jump back as Drusilla turned to face them for the first time. "Drusilla."

"Little girl," the crazy vampire said. "You forgot your bread." She held a shopping bag in her outstretched hand.

"I think we'll be fine without it," Dawn said as she massaged her neck.

"Are you okay?" Anya asked, checking her for damage.

"Fine," she said, shrugging out of Anya's hold. "The shirts ruined but I'm okay." She turned to glare at the vampire. "They jumped me when I put in the code."

"They?" Xander asked. Drusilla giggled.

"I brought Grandmother with me," she sang. "The pixies told me family is important. Especially at the birth of a new Childe."

"Grandmother?" Xander asked, glancing behind him for a moment before turning back to the vampire. "Childe?" He spoke to Drusilla, but she had started dancing underneath the stars.

"If you figure out what she's saying let me know." A second figure approached the gate.

"Darla!" Xander hissed. "Are you behind this?" She laughed.

"I'm just along for the ride." She took a step forward, putting her hand up and pushing against the invisible barrier. "Never thought I would miss Spike, but that was before I had to put up with all her ramblings myself. How he was able to do it for over a century is a mystery to me."

"So you're here for Spike?" Dawn asked, fire shining in her eyes. "Well you can't have him. And you can't come in and take him by force, so you might as well crawl back to whatever rock you've been living under before we come after you with stakes."

"With pleasure," Darla said as she turned away. "Come on Dru." Drusilla stopped dancing and walked up to the barrier.

"My black prince," she said, reaching a hand out. "He has returned. But you'll try to steal him away again. Make him dance in the sunlight instead of the shadows."

"Dru," Xander spoke loudly. "I don't know what you're talking about, but you can't get in so you might as well just go away." She focused on him, her eyes changing from madness to evil. He took an involuntary step back.

"Never tell me what to do," she snarled as she took one step forward past the barrier. "Only daddy can tell me what to do."

"How did you get past the barrier?" Dawn asked as she and Anya pulled Xander further away from the crazy vampire. Darla rushed the gate, only to get knocked down while Dru laughed.

"My Childe lets me in," she said, the madness returning to her eyes. "My Childe welcomes me." She lunged at them, only to be pushed back when a crossbow bolt sunk into her arm.

"There's plenty more where that came from," Gunn said as a large group ran to their aid. Gunn had already reloaded and sent another bolt flying. Dru snarled, but backed away. She shot one more look toward the house before fleeing into the night, Darla right behind her.

"Dawn?" Giles asked, pushing his way through the group and grabbing her arms. He looked her over thoroughly.

"I'm okay," she said but didn't pull away from his grasp. Once he was satisfied he gave her a quick hug and released her.

"Was Drusilla inside the property line?" Wesley asked as the group started backing slowly away.

"Yep," Xander confirmed. "But Darla couldn't get in. Dru kept saying her Childe invited her. Any ideas G-man?"

"Spike is in the house," he said after a few minutes. "If his true demonic nature is overpowering his more human one, it's possible he called to her as his Sire. But he shouldn't have been able to get her past the barrier."

"But will she be able to get past the threshold into our home?" Anya asked. "Or should we be sleeping with a stake under our pillow?" Giles shook his head.

"I don't know," he admitted. "This situation has never happened before. Until we figure out how she managed to breach the perimeter we have no way of knowing how to undo it."

"So sleepover at Casa de Summers," Xander said. Anya nodded enthusiastically. They reached the door and entered the safety of the house. Giles fastened the deadbolt and several latches behind them. Hank gasped as they entered the living room.

"What happened?" he demanded, staring at Dawn in terror.

"Nothing," she brushed off his concern. "I just had a clumsy moment and tripped." She turned to Andrew who had come out of the kitchen. "The store was out of bread."

"Oh," he said, understanding filling his eyes. "I guess we really don't need bread. Dinner is ready," he announced, glancing between them and the secured front door.

"I'm just gonna go change," Dawn said, pulling at the scraps her shirt had been turned into. She ran up the stairs as Ethan approached with the witches behind him.

"Did somebody say dinner?" he asked, ignoring the strained people around him.

"Right," Giles said, pointing to the dining room. "Shall we?" Ethan took the lead, followed by the Summers family and Angel's group, leaving the Scoobies in the hallway.

"What happened?" Willow demanded. The whole group headed into the living room to get the children. This also gave them the chance to talk quietly without their visitors hearing.

"Drusilla," Anya said simply.

"She found a way past the barrier," Xander finished as he picked up Alex. Tara had already grabbed Billy.

"How?" Willow asked. Xander shrugged.

"That's the million-dollar question," he said, positioning Alex more securely on his side. "All we know is she almost got Dawn and she definitely was beyond the property line."

"I guess we're going to have a research party," Tara said quietly. "Besides the one we're already doing." Xander nodded.

"I, for one, will not be sleeping soundly until I know how Dru beat our defenses."

"First things first," Dawn said as she joined them once more. "We have to get through another awkward dinner with my grandparents."


	11. Chapter 11

Thanks for the catch Diaz. You are awesome. It has been fixed. As for Joyce and Buffy, they will be coming back soon. How long can I drag on a weekend trip to L.A. anyway. As for Dru. Hmmm... Maybe the scooby gang should research that.

Warnings and disclaimer in Chapter 1. Enjoy.

* * *

The dinner was strained. Their guests picked up on the atmosphere, even if they didn't know what was causing it. They tried socializing after dinner, but her grandparents gave up after an hour and went to bed. Hank and Nancy followed them shortly after, allowing the Scoobies to talk and discuss what happened.

"And nobody has any idea how she got onto the property?" Wesley asked again. Giles shook his head as he picked up another book.

"For the last time," Dawn said as she threw her book onto the table heavily. "We don't know. I pulled up to the gate and put in the code when they attacked. I screamed and Xander and Anya came running, distracting Dru and Darla long enough to get past the gate."

"We thought we were safe," Xander took up the latest explanation, "but then she just waltzed right passed the boundary line. She lunged and would have gotten us if your group hadn't been there."

"We just froze in shock," Anya admitted, as she leafed through her own book. The fact that she was actively researching showed just how scared she was. "She kept saying her Childe gave her access. Could she mean Spike?"

"I don't know," Giles admitted. "A vampire does not need an invitation to enter the home of another vampire or demon, but I have no idea how our situation applies. I've never heard of a vampire cohabitating with a human before and have no idea how it would affect the invitation requirements."

They looked up as Gunn and Fred entered.

"She's still out there," he said dejectedly. "We keep seeing her from a distance, but as soon as we close in she's gone. It's like she's toying with us."

"As a cat toys with the mouse," Xander said. "Until the cat becomes hungry."

"I don't know how she got past the property line," Fred said as she unloaded her weapons, "but we saw her trying to get through one of the windows. However she has her access it doesn't stretch to the house."

"So we should be safe inside," Giles commented.

"We should set up a watch just to be safe," Wesley added. Everyone agreed and settled in for a long night.

* * *

Dawn sighed as she heard her grandparents come down the stairs. The previous night had been long and stressful, especially since Dru spent the majority of the time looking through whatever windows she could find. She made no attempt to hide once the doors had been locked for the night, and only left when someone approached with a cross. Worse though, had been her grandparent's attitude the next morning.

"I'm not sure what's going on here," Irene told her husband as they climbed down the stairs in a loud voice that carried into the kitchen. "What kind of cult they have here, but it's not normal."

"Yes dear," her grandfather answered unenthusiastically as they entered the kitchen, but her grandmother wasn't done.

"They all stayed over last night," her grandmother continued. "In and out of every room at all hours of the night. And that blonde one kept opening the door and watching us sleep." Andrew paled and turned back to the stove. He was especially susceptible to Dru's thrall, but thankfully everyone kept him out of trouble.

"He was sleepwalking," Dawn defended him. "Sometimes he has these episodes. It's dangerous to try to wake him up during these fits."

"Hmph," Irene said as she strutted over to the island, the rest of the family following behind her. "And I suppose that girl dancing outside in the moonlight was sleepwalking also?" she asked, deliberately ignoring the breakfast Andrew made for them. Instead she reached for a bowl and the cereal.

"Mom," Nancy tried to pacify her, but Irene held firm.

"No," she insisted, turning to her son. "I understand now why you had to leave. Something is wrong here. Whatever Joyce got herself into, it is unnatural." She turned to Dawn. "I wish it wasn't too late for you, but I get the feeling you have been brainwashed by whatever that cult leader has been preaching to you. Is it that Mr. Giles?"

"Grandma!" Dawn was outraged. "Giles has never done anything except be here for each and every one of us. Which is more than I can say for you."

"Me?" She raised her hand against her heart in false surprise. "I have always been there for you."

"Like the time mom almost died and I couldn't get a hold of anyone?" Dawn burst out. Her outburst caused the group to go silent.

"Joyce almost died?" Hank asked quietly. Dawn nodded.

"I tried calling you," she told him, her eyes starting to tear as she thought back to that horrible time. She turned to her grandparents. "I tried calling you too. I tried calling everybody. I was all alone and none of my family answered my calls."

"What about Buffy?" Hank asked. Dawn wiped at her eyes.

"Buffy was busy," she said stiffly, "but at least I knew that. I knew what she was doing was important. And as soon as she was done she came to me. They all did." She turned back to her grandmother. "This cult we have here. It's called a family, though I understand why you'd be confused."

"Dawn!" Hank warned, but instead of backing down he got the brunt of her anger.

"No! You don't get to come here and tell us what is wrong with our lives. You lost that right when you abandoned us."

"Dawn," Nancy tried to break in, but Dawn was on a roll now.

"For years and years you didn't give us the slightest thought. You haven't got the slightest clue what we've been through. You were gone when I needed you the most. When Buffy did. You don't get the right to waltz back in here and have everything forgiven. You haven't earned it." Hank sighed.

"You're right," he said quietly. "I haven't earned any forgiveness, especially from you." He glanced out the window at the lightening sky. "Is it safe to leave?"

"Yes, but wait," Dawn said as the fight drained out of her. He turned to her.

"You're right Dawn. I need to earn my place in your lives." He walked to the door with Dawn following right behind him.

"I didn't mean it like that," she said. "I didn't mean you needed to leave. You just need to give me space and time to cool down."

"No Dawn. I don't belong here." The door opened unexpectedly just as he turned to leave.

"I heard shouting," Joyce said as she stared in shock at the man standing a few inches from her.

"Joyce," he whispered, taking a few steps back. Dawn looked around him at her mother, who had the same look of shock on her face.

"Hey Mom," she greeted awkwardly. "Guess who stopped in for a surprise visit. Surprise." Joyce looked from face to face as Giles joined them in the hallway.

"Joyce," Hank whispered again before looking behind her. "Where's Buffy?"

"In the car," she said, looking to Giles. "I finally got her to sleep."

"I'll go get her," he said quickly. He almost ran out of the room. He was quick, but she still noticed the faint outlines of weapons underneath his jacket. She turned back to Dawn.

"What's going on?" she asked. Dawn sighed heavily.

"A lot," she said as she led her mother back into the living room. Hank followed uncertainly behind them. "Oh, by the way, dad knows."

"What?" Joyce asked.

"He and aunt Nancy kinda saw Spike in full game face mode," Dawn explained. "Giles talked to them about it, but I'm not sure how far it got."

"Unfortunately not very far," Giles said as he entered the room again. Buffy was cradled in his arms, looking around sleepily. Joyce sighed in frustration.

"What part of 'I finally got her to sleep' did you not understand?" she asked as she took back Buffy. She sat down on the couch, cradling her daughter against her as she tried frantically to get Buffy back to sleep. Buffy, for her part, was trying her hardest to stay awake.

"I am sorry," Giles apologized, "but time was of the essence. We are in the middle of a situation here." He was staring at Buffy in concern as she struggled to keep her eyes open.

"With Hank?" Joyce guessed. Giles sighed and moved so they could both see the man in question.

"Oh God!" Hank paled once he got his first good look at Buffy. "Oh God. Oh God." He kept repeating over and over as he backed himself into a corner, his arms circling his body as he started rocking in place.

"Hank!" Nancy came in, drawn by her brother's frantic pleas. She stopped dead at the first sight of her niece. Buffy kept looking around for the source of the new sounds she was hearing.

"It's okay," Dawn hurriedly assured them, glancing between them and Buffy. She frowned when she finally took in Buffy's gaunt form. "I take it this weekend wasn't the stress free time you hoped it would be?" she asked her mom. Joyce merely glared at her.

"Dawn," she warned and Dawn sighed before turning back to her family.

"Okay, so I know she doesn't look that good right now, but she's okay. You can stop freaking out, or at least freak out somewhere else so that mom can get Buffy to sleep. Okay?" Nancy nodded and together they managed to get Hank out of the room. Once they were gone Joyce turned to Giles.

"Tell me that's all I missed." Giles rubbed his eyes.

"I wish I could," he admitted, "but as tragic as a surprise visit from your in-laws is, it is the least of our concerns." He was about to say more when her mother in law came around the corner.

"Joyce? I thought I heard your voice. Now perhaps my son can finish this foolishness he insists on and we can…" She stopped cold when she saw them.

"Irene." Joyce forced a smile onto her face.

"Oh God," Irene asked, the haughty mask she usually wore fell away at the sight of her grandchild. She rushed over, all but pushing Giles out of the way as she knelt next to the couch. "What happened?" She raised her hand to touch Buffy, but then seemed to think better of it. Instead she put her hand comfortingly on Joyce's shoulder.

"A series of bad days," Joyce told her.

"Is there anything I can do?" Irene asked. In that moment she was transformed from the haughty bitch to the kind, caring woman Joyce knew she could be. Sadly, Joyce shook her head.

"I just need some peace and quiet to get Buffy to sleep," she said. "Why don't you go have some breakfast. I'll join you soon." Irene nodded, and gave Joyce's shoulder a squeeze as she slowly got to her feet. She shot Giles a death glare as she left, but he simply smiled at her. Once she was gone she turned to Giles. "She really isn't too bad once you get to know her."

"I'll take your word for it," he said as he came back over to the couch.

"She takes family very seriously," she continued, "and she has a very traditional view of marriage. She was quite opposed to Hank and I divorcing. She believes a stable family was more important for the children then having either one of us happy. When we were officially divorced, she offered to let us stay with them until I got back on my feet, but I brought the girls here instead. She's never been able to get over that."

"Well she certainly hides her concern well," Giles guffed. "If I didn't know any better I would have sworn she was from the Council with her lack of human emotion." Joyce smiled before turning serious.

"Now what's going on?"

* * *

The mood was definitely strained in the dining room. Andrew had made another excellent breakfast, but none of their guests seemed to have much of an appetite. After about an hour the sun had fully risen. The crystals finally were clear. Dawn and the Scoobies rushed to go about their day, taking Willow and Andrew with them to the stores when they left. Wesley, Gunn, and Fred retreated to Giles's place where they could unwind and talk amongst themselves. Joyce spent most of the morning with Buffy, trying to get her to sleep. Eventually Giles took over and Joyce went into the kitchen for some breakfast.

"What happened to her?" Nancy asked. The family was gathered around the island, unnaturally quiet and watching the living room intently. Joyce sighed and reached for a cup of coffee.

"What didn't," she said quietly as she sipped the bitter brew. She picked up the plate Andrew had left for her and popped it in the microwave to warm it up. As it was warming she looked at the concerned faces of her family. "Do you remember hearing about a prostitution ring in New York City that was broken up about a year ago?"

"Oh God," Nancy exclaimed, putting her hands over her mouth. "She wasn't."

"She was," Joyce confirmed. She glanced over at Hank, but he was rocking back and forth, staring down at his hands. The chirping of the microwave caused all of them to jump. Joyce moved to get her breakfast.

"She couldn't have been mixed up in that unholiness," Irene insisted. "She was here with you all this time."

"No she wasn't," Joyce corrected her as she started to eat. She put down her fork as she looked at her ex-husband. "She went missing about four years ago. The police detectives think she was abducted by The Ring around that time and forced to perform for them."

"Perform?" Irene asked before her eyes widened. "Why didn't you tell us any of this before?"

"When?" Joyce asked angrily. "You made it perfectly clear you wanted nothing more to do with me when I made the decision to come here. You tried with the girls for a bit, but you haven't spoken to either of them for over five years. And you think you were going to be the first ones I called when she didn't come home that night?"

"Joyce," Hank interrupted her quietly. She turned to face the man she once loved, only to find him cowering in the corner like a wild animal. "When she didn't come home. Was it different?" She paused for a moment, trying to make out what he was asking her. Finally, she nodded her head. He lowered his. "I'm sorry," he told her.

"There was nothing you could do," she said, reaching out to put her hand on his arm. He flinched slightly, then allowed the contact. She held it there for a few minutes before retracting and eating again.

"Is there anything we can do?" Nancy asked. Joyce shook her head.

"I have all the help I need," she told them. They looked up as Buffy wheeled herself in. Nancy gasped as Irene choked back a sob. "Buffy?" Joyce asked, rushing from the island to kneel in front of her daughter. Buffy opened and closed her mouth a few times before simply pointing to the refrigerator. "Are you hungry?" Joyce asked. Buffy nodded. "Let's see if I can find you something." Buffy nodded as she followed her mother around the kitchen, stopping when she saw the new arrivals. They stared at her in shock and she stared right back. "Here you go," Joyce said as she grabbed a yogurt from the fridge and tore the top off. She grabbed a spoon and knelt next to Buffy's wheelchair. "Open up." Buffy opened her mouth and ate the spoonful of yogurt Joyce fed her.

"Oh God," Stephen whispered as the family watched the scene in shock. Buffy turned to stare at him curiously.

"Buffy," Joyce admonished when Buffy's attention shifted from her breakfast to the strangers. She looked to her mother and opened her mouth for another spoonful. As she slowly ate she turned to watch them again. "Do you remember your grandparents? Or your Aunt Nancy?" she asked between bites. Buffy stared at them for a few minutes before shaking her head. "What about your father?" Joyce asked quietly. Buffy simply shook her head. "That's okay. They remember you. They came to see how you were doing."

"What happened to her?" Hank asked as he stared at her intently. Buffy stared right back, to the point where everything else disappeared.

"She was injured," Joyce said as she tried to get Buffy's attention again. When she finally succeeded Buffy glanced at her for a minute before turning her attention back to Hank. Joyce sighed and stood up, eating the spoonful of yogurt herself. "She was in a coma for seven months. She has several psychological and physical problems we are slowly overcoming from her experience. She's also paralyzed from the waist down."

"You've been handling this all on your own?" Nancy asked. "You could have called."

"You could've as well," Joyce countered. "Besides I'm not by myself. I'm sure you've met everyone if you've been here more than a few minutes."

"Children themselves," Irene dismissed. "You need family during these troubled times."

"They are hardly children anymore," she said tersely, "and they are more family than you are."

"Joyce," Hank whispered, his eyes never leaving his daughter. "Are the kids hers?"

"No," she said defensively. "They are mine. I adopted them."

"Joyce," Irene said, but stopped when Buffy suddenly turned her head to the side. A few minutes later she was wheeling herself out of the kitchen. "Clearly you need help," Irene continued. "She looks like a famine victim."

"She's just having a few bad days," Joyce said, plopping down on a chair and finishing her cold again breakfast. "She's been having nightmares which means she hasn't been sleeping which is throwing everything off. She just needs a bit of time."

"She needs more than time from what I'm seeing," Irene insisted. Joyce sighed and opened her mouth to respond when Giles stumbled into the kitchen yawning loudly.

"Excuse me," he said when he finished yawning. "Long night," he explained as he put some water to boil for tea. "Did Buffy come in here? I got her to sleep then must have dozed myself."

"She just left," Joyce said as she rinsed her plate in the sink. "I thought she was going to find you."

"Perhaps we just missed each other," he said as he grabbed cups and teabags from the cupboards.

"It's not like there's anyone else she would go to in the house right now," Joyce continued. Giles nodded then froze. "Rupert?"

"Ethan," he hissed. He stood quickly, Joyce following him out of the room.

"He's still here?" she asked as they quickly headed to the library. "The whole point of going to L.A. was to get him out of the house.

"Something came up," he said as he quickly scanned the library. "He was just here."

"Where would he go?" she asked. He thought for a minute.

"He was very interested in the children." Joyce growled and led the way up the stairs to the nursery. The twins were sleeping contentedly in their cribs. She smiled softly at them before stepping back into the hallway.

"Any other ideas?" Giles shook his head before cocking it to one side.

"Listen," he said quietly. She did and heard the faint sound of someone reading out loud. They looked at each other before approaching Buffy's bedroom. They opened the door quietly, only to be shushed by the figure on the bed.

"And so they lived happily ever after. The end." Ethan looked down at the girl in his arms and smiled. He shifted her carefully so he could crawl out of bed without waking her. Joyce blinked at the sight, but didn't make any sound as Ethan carefully put the book of fairytales on the bedside table before joining them in the hall. He checked on the twins quickly before turning to Giles. "We still have work to do Ripper," he said as he passed them and headed downstairs.

"How?" Giles managed to get out before following him. Joyce took a minute to check on her daughter before joining them in the library. "If you did anything to her Ethan."

"I told you," Ethan smirked at them. "I like your girl. I'd never do anything to hurt her." He picked up a book and started reading. "Now I believe we were trying to find a way to save your vampire."

"Right," Giles said as he took his seat at the table. Joyce just glared at Ethan.

"If I find out you hurt her in any way you'll wish you were still locked in that cage," she promised. Ethan smiled. Joyce rolled her eyes. "I'll be with Buffy. The nightmares usually start within a few minutes."


	12. Chapter 12

Warnings and disclaimer in Chapter 1. Enjoy.

* * *

"Joyce." Joyce frowned as someone gently shook her arm. She opened her eyes to glare at that someone, then frowned as that simply act brought about pain and stiffness in her body. "Joyce? Are you awake?"

"Rupert," she said sleepily. She held out a hand, which he used to help pull her into a sitting position. She yawned as she realized she was lying on the floor by her daughter's bed. Giles helped her to her feet and she immediately turned to her daughter. "I guess I was really tired."

"Did you sleep at all in L.A.?" he asked as they both checked on the sleeping girl.

"About as much as Buffy did," she admitted. "Maybe a little more."

"You need to take care of yourself so you can take care of her," Giles admonished her. "You know that."

"I know," she admitted. She turned back toward him. "Was there something you needed?"

"Lunch," he said. She looked confused until she saw the time.

"I've been sleeping for almost five hours?" she asked.

"You both have," he clarified. Joyce turned back to her daughter.

"No nightmares?" she asked. Giles looked uncomfortable. "Rupert?" she demanded.

"She had nightmares," he admitted, "but Ethan was able to coax her through them."

"Ethan?" she asked, her voice slightly higher than she wanted. Buffy grimaced but continued to sleep. Giles made sure her wheelchair was next to the bed before pulling Joyce out of the room.

"Yes Ethan," he told her once they were in the hallway. "As loathe as I am to admit it, he has some sort of connection with her."

"He also tried to kill her," Joyce pointed out, "or should we forget those small incidents too." Giles sighed.

"I'm not saying we should accept him at face value, but he has been nothing but helpful since he got here. He let us lock him up. He didn't run when he could have. And he has been helping us figure out what is wrong with Spike. He even let himself bunk with Andrew at my suggestion."

"Really?" Joyce asked, all previous arguments against him out the window for the time being. "He bunked with Andrew? All night long?" Giles smirked.

"He wasn't happy the next morning," he said. "My point is he is doing everything we ask of him. If he has any ulterior motive here, I can't find it."

"So you believe what he's been saying?" she asked as they made their way into the kitchen. Ethan glanced up and grinned when he saw them coming through the doorway.

"More than I did a few days ago," Giles reluctantly admitted. Joyce huffed but didn't say anything. She rounded the kitchen to where sandwich fixings were laid out.

"Should we get Buffy?" Nancy asked as she led Hank up from the basement.

"No!" Joyce nearly shouted. She sighed, then looked at them. "She hasn't been sleeping well and is finally asleep," she explained. "I'll make her something when she wakes up."

"Of course," Nancy immediately agreed as she made a sandwich for herself and her brother. Hank was staring into space until she waved the sandwich in his face. A loud growl and banging could be heard coming from the basement for a few minutes before it quieted down.

"Spike," Giles explained. Joyce nodded and started making a sandwich. Giles had told her what was going on, but she hadn't been down to check on the vampire yet. Mostly because Hank was spending an inordinate amount of time there.

"Where are Irene and Stephen?" she asked.

"They decided to explore the local culture and take lunch in town," Nancy explained. "I think the shock of Buffy's story has them more off balance than Hank's own fall from grace."

"What?" Joyce asked.

"I'll explain later," Giles told her. She nodded just as cries could be heard from the baby monitor. "The twins," he said, putting down his sandwich.

"I'll go," Joyce told him, but he simply followed her out. Minutes later they returned, each carrying a baby. Giles expertly put Billy into his highchair before reaching for Alex. Soon the infants were content, watching the adults around them.

"Mommy missed you," Joyce said as she grabbed a jar of baby food and began feeding the twins. They raised their arms to her, but she didn't pick them up. Instead she began tickling them in between bites, which they found hilarious. Soon the quiet kitchen was filled with baby laughter. When the twins were finished she took Alex and laid her on her shoulder as she started her own sandwich. Giles did the same with Billy, but had him on his lap as he ate. Hank and Nancy watched in silence until another growl came up from the basement. "Have you made any progress?" she asked as she slowly paced back and forth.

"It depends on your definition of progress," Giles admitted. "I don't think we can actually stop the spell."

"But we can wait it out," Ethan added helpfully. Joyce glared at him, which he returned with a smirk.

"Yes," Giles reluctantly added. "I think our best bet is to simply let the spell run its course. It is taking a tremendous effort to keep the spell going. Even if the most powerful sorcerers and witches worked together, they couldn't keep a spell like this going indefinitely."

"So when is it going to end?" Joyce asked as she shifted Alex into a more comfortable position.

"We think in a two days," Ethan said. She raised her eyebrows but intentionally didn't look at him.

"It's a full moon in two days," Giles explained. "As you know a full moon is attributed, rightly or wrongly, to many abstract and just plain weird behaviors in people. Demons react to a full moon in much the same way, only perhaps more strongly. The spell is actually gaining power. It is logical that its climax would concur on the night of the full moon to fully affect the demonic population in Sunnydale."

"Is it dangerous?" Joyce asked. Giles shook his head.

"Wesley and Gunn have been patrolling every night, usually with Xander. They haven't reported any extremely unusual changes. Demons are more aggressive, but nothing that they can't handle. I believe Willy's is taking the brunt of the damage."

"My heart bleeds," Joyce said unconvincingly. Giles smiled. "So we wait two days and see if the spell ends?" Joyce asked. Giles nodded. "And if it doesn't?"

"Then we hit the books again." Joyce nodded.

"How can you stay so calm about this?" Nancy asked. She and Hank watched the interaction in awe.

"Years and years of practice," Joyce smiled as she looked at them. Nancy's eyes kept wandering to the baby in her arms. "Would you like to hold her?"

"Is it okay?" Nancy asked, excitement shining in her eyes even as she reached for the almost sleeping child. Joyce nodded and passed her over. Alex opened her eyes sleepily before smiling and closing them again. Joyce watched for a minute before turning back to her own lunch.

"So anything else happen while I was gone?" she asked, taking a bite of her sandwich. "Dawn decide to run off and join a circus?" Giles chuckled.

"You heard about Drusilla?" he asked, not able to remember exactly what he told her before. She nodded.

"The property line," she added. He nodded. "Any ideas?"

"We're working on it," he assured her. She simply nodded before something caught her attention outside.

"Is it just me or does it seem to be getting dark?" she asked. Giles looked out before carefully putting Billy back in his highchair.

"It does seem to be a bit overcast," Giles murmured. "I don't remember seeing any indication of rain on the forecast."

"Maybe something's blowing in from the ocean?" Nancy suggested. "It happens all the time down in San Diego."

"Maybe," Joyce conceded as she took another bite. She kept watching the weather change worriedly. Suddenly Alex woke up crying. Nancy tried everything she could to soothe the baby, gratefully handing her over to Giles. She stopped crying as soon as he held her, but was still fussing.

"What's wrong little one?" Giles cooed. She looked at him tearfully then turned to watch outside. He followed her gaze. "Joyce!" he said sharply as he thrust the baby back into Nancy's arms. At the same time Billy started crying, which set off Alex again.

"What?" she asked as she scanned the backyard, but she quickly saw what caught his attention. "Drusilla," she hissed, putting herself protectively in front of the children. Giles stepped up to her side as the crazy vampire danced her way onto the porch.

"Someone is blocking the sun for her," Ethan said as he stepped to her other side. "There's magic in the air."

"She can't get in right?" Joyce double checked as she grabbed a wooden cooking spoon from the rack. Giles nodded. It was confirmed when Dru stopped advancing when she reached the porch and instead stared at them through the glass.

"Mummy's home," she sang as she started swaying in place.

"I'm warning you now Drusilla," Joyce shouted through the glass, "if you attack my family I will never stop until you fit in an ashtray." Dru stopped swaying and looked at them.

"I'm not doing anything she doesn't beckon me to do." She laughed manically and Joyce tightened her grip on the wooden spoon as Giles and Ethan both grabbed makeshift weapons.

"She can't do anything, right?" Ethan checked. Giles nodded.

"She still can't get in and nobody is outside right now that she can attack."

"Rupert!" Joyce whispered. Dru's attention had focused to the side of the house. A sadistic smile formed on her face.

"Come my Childe," she sang. They watched helplessly as something crawled along the back porch.

"Buffy," Joyce whispered when she was finally able to make out what had Dru so intrigued. Buffy slowly crawled over to the vampire, staring at her curiously. "Buffy!" Joyce shouted as she and Giles tried unsuccessfully to get the doors open.

"Drusilla don't," Giles shouted as he abandoned the stuck door knobs and began trying to break the glass. He pounded on it with everything he could think off, but the glass held. Nothing they did worked. They were helpless as they watched Buffy slowly pull herself into a sitting position in front of the crazy vampire.

"Stand back!" Ethan ordered as he pulled Joyce and Giles away from the door. Once they were clear he started chanting, his sparks of magic racing between his fingertips. He reached a hand to the door as the magic flew from him to the glass. The entire wall glowed red for a moment before rebounding off the door and crashing into the chaos mage. He was forcefully thrown from the kitchen and slammed into the living room wall. Dru barely looked up at the chaos.

"I tasted you once before," she said to Buffy, who was simply staring up at her, "and I haven't been able to get your taste out of my head." Her face shifted, her fangs showing.

"Dru!" Joyce yelled again, desperate to help but unable to do anything. She and Giles continued their attack on the door and windows, but nothing broke. Dru glanced at them before pulling Buffy up off her feet.

"Soon she will be part of my family," she said as she held the paralyzed girl upright with one hand. With her other hand she brushed her long, blonde hair back and bared her neck. Buffy gasped as Drusilla bent down and latched on. A few minutes later she raised her head, her mouth covered in blood. She screamed in delight as she started to twirl the blonde Slayer.

"Dru," Joyce begged, tears coming down her face. "Please don't." But they were still trapped inside the house and couldn't do anything but watch. Eventually Dru stopped dancing and simply held the girl up.

"Together we shall reclaim our dark prince," she said. "He will come back to his family when you are with us." She bent down again, drinking deeply as she held Buffy's frail form to her body when suddenly Buffy was violently ripped from her grasp. Joyce looked up in time to see Spike throw himself between Buffy and Drusilla.

"Stop!" Spike shouted. He was shaking from head to toe and was in full game face, but he stood facing his Sire. "You can't do this."

"You're right," she sang, seductively stepping up to him. She gave him a long kiss, sharing the remaining blood in her mouth with him. His body shuddered and he gave an involuntary growl.

"Dru," he said as he weekly pushed her back. She stepped away, but then danced around him.

"The stars have been talking to me," she said, as she caressed his body as she passed. "They've been telling me it's time for our family to reunite."

"No!" Spike shouted as he tried to ignore her. She smiled.

"They brought Grandmother back from the beyond," she told him. "Soon they will return Daddy to us. They even showed me how to bring back my naughty, naughty Spike." She smiled as she turned and picked up the Slayer again, this time cradling the girl in her arms. He growled as she turned to him again, but didn't make any move to stop her. "Turn sunshine into night and we all will be together forever."

"No Dru," he tried to reason with her, but his yellow eyes were locked on the bared neck she presented him. "You can't turn a Slayer."

"The stars whisper I can," she told him. She bent her head and began drinking again. Buffy turned her head slightly toward the door. Her eyes locked questioningly onto her mother's and her arm flopped uselessly in her direction.

"Buffy!" Joyce shouted uselessly. Dru ignored her, but Spike glanced back before roughly pulling Buffy into his own arms.

"No!" he shouted. Dru looked up, her golden eyes gleaming mischievously. She reached up and before Spike could react dragged his head to the still bleeding wound. He latched on instinctively, gulping down hot Slayer blood before he realized what he was doing. Drusilla laughed with joy and Joyce tried one final plea.

"Spike," she begged. "Please." Spike shifted so he could look at them even as he continued to drink. He locked eyes with Joyce. "You promised," she said quietly, even though she knew he could hear her.

"No," he said quietly. With great strength he pulled himself from his feast. Dru stopped dancing and looked at him with loathing.

"You still choose the sunshine?" she asked haughtily. Spike roughly nodded even as he was trembling from head to toe.

"I won't let you turn her," he forced out between bloody lips. "I love her too much to let her become something she hates." Dru screamed as she rushed forward and pulled Buffy from his hands. Struggling to control his own bloodlust, he didn't react for a few minutes, which was all Dru needed to put some space between them.

"She will bring you back to the family!" Dru shouted at him. "Whether as your Childe or my Minion it will not matter." She bent to finish draining her when Spike charged. She had barely latched on when Buffy was once again violently ripped from her arms. Spike brutally pushed his Sire away. They fought like animals for a few minutes before Spike suddenly got the upper hand. He knocked Dru to the ground then broke one of the wooden railings surrounding the porch. He placed his makeshift stake to Dru's heart when Buffy suddenly went limp in his arms.

"Buffy?" He shook her gently, but she didn't react. He took one step backwards, the makeshift stake never leaving its target. "Run Dru," he ordered. "If I ever see you again I will kill you." Dru looked at him, then cocked her head.

"You will see me again, my black prince," she told him as she gracefully got to her feet. "But the stars say it is not time yet. Soon we shall continue this." She ran forward and gave him a quick kiss before bounding away. As soon as she was out of sight Spike dropped the stake, his shoulders slumping in exhaustion before he looked at the bloody girl in his arms.


	13. Chapter 13

Wow. I didn't realize lunch could be so confusing. Just to be clear, it is lunch time, noonish, a time when crazy vampires shouldn't be able to wander around and everybody should be safe.

Warnings and disclaimer in Chapter one. Enjoy.

* * *

"Buffy?" Spike quickly stepped over to the door which Giles and Joyce still could not open. Without thinking he simply raised his foot and bashed it in. Whatever magic was keeping them trapped inside broke. He gathered Buffy to his chest and stepped across the threshold.

"Spike," Giles held out his arms. "Give her to me." He moved to hand her over when her head rolled and her bloody neck was bared. He sniffed deeply, his eyes gleaming for a moment as he lowered his head to her neck.

"Spike!" Joyce ordered in her best Mom voice. A few seconds later he lifted his head. His whole body was shaking as he handed her over to her Watcher.

"You'll need to call the Doc," he told him as Giles cleared the counter with a swipe of his hand and laid her on it. "I stopped the deep bleeding from Dru's fangs, but can't do anything about the tears on her throat unless you want me nuzzling her until he gets here."

"No!" Giles said abruptly, already applying pressure with a hand towel that was nearby. Joyce already was on the phone with Ben. She hung up just as Spike turned to her.

"You need to stake me pet," he said as he advanced on her. "I can't control myself. I want nothing more than to shag her or suck her dry right now. None of which would be good for her. Promise me luv."

"Spike," she said, deliberately putting down the wooden spoon she grabbed. "I promise I will stake you if you can't control yourself." He nodded, opening his shirt to make it easy for her. "But you just proved to me you can."

"But I can't," he argued, picking up the spoon and putting it back in her hands. "I want to turn her so badly right now. I want to eat you so badly, just because you have her scent. You, Niblet, the kids. I don't trust myself right now."

"Then trust me," she said, putting the spoon down again. Spike nodded before stiffening. He smiled as he fell toward her. She caught him instinctively before noticing the tranq darts in his back. Looking back, she saw Gunn and Wesley each lower a rifle. Fred was already making her way toward Buffy. Giles looked up when he saw her out of the corner of his eye.

"She needs blood," he said, stating the obvious but too shocked to notice.

"Do you have any?" Fred asked as she peeled away the towel to get her first look at the wound. Giles nodded his head.

"Yes," he said as he lifted the frail girl into his arms and headed out of the kitchen. Fred followed him, leaving Joyce with the others.

"Should we stake him?" Gunn asked, frowning at the thought. Joyce shook her head.

"Let's put him back in the basement," Wesley suggested. Gunn nodded and hoisted the vampire over his shoulder. "Sshhh. It's okay," Wesley cooed as he picked up Billy from his highchair. The baby quieted immediately and Joyce realized that the twins were screaming the entire time. She reached over for Alex. Nancy immediately passed her over. As soon as she was in Joyce's arms she quieted. "I'm sorry it took us so long to get over here," Wesley told her. "We watched everything unfold, but no matter what we tried we couldn't get out of the house."

"Until Spike broke the doors down," she added. Wesley nodded. She glanced at the back yard. The unnatural cloud cover was gone, leaving the area bathed in sunshine. She handed Alex to Wesley, who quickly adjusted his grip on Billy in order to hold both of them. She grabbed the wooden spoon again and hesitantly stepped to the door. Taking a deep breath, she slowly stepped through the hole Spike had left. She took a few more steps until she was in the center of the porch. Gripping the spoon tightly she spun around, trying to see any sign of the crazy vampire. Convinced it was safe for the moment, she returned inside. She took Alex back, hugging the girl tightly. Everyone jumped when the doorbell rang unexpectedly. Joyce quickly rushed to answer it when she saw Ben and Abby on the other side.

"We brought everything we thought we might need," he said as he carried several cardboard boxes through the doorway. Abby greeted them as she raced in.

"Bedroom or hospital room?" she asked as she grabbed the various blood packets and got them ready.

"Hospital," Joyce said. Abby nodded and sped out of the hallway.

"What happened?" Ben asked. Joyce shuddered.

"Vampire," she said in a quiet voice.

"In the middle of the day?" he asked. He studied her intently when she didn't answer right away. "Sit down before you fall down," he told her, recognizing the signs of shock. He looked up when Wesley entered the hallway. "Make sure she drinks something," he told him, waiting only long enough for Wesley to nod before hurrying down the hallway. Wesley maneuvered Joyce into the living room, sitting her down on the couch before handing her a bottle of water. He noticed the others in the kitchen slowly follow them in, then glanced up when Ethan groaned.

"Did anyone get the number of that bus?" he joked as he pulled himself to a sitting position. He then paled as he remembered what happened. He moved to get up, but only succeeded in rising about halfway before he collapsed again, his hands cradling his head.

"It's okay," Wesley came over and put a steadying hand on his shoulder. After a few minutes he helped Ethan into a sitting position.

"Is Buffy?" he asked, holding his head again.

"She's with Giles," Wesley told him.

"Did you do this Ethan?" Joyce asked in a deadly tone.

"If I did, do you think I would have given myself a concussion trying to undo it?" he asked. "I would have been on the other side of the bloody barrier." He gingerly felt around his head at the bump he knew he would be getting. "How many times do I have to say this. I like your girl. I'm not here to hurt her." Joyce simply turned her head. Wesley pointed to the bottle of water she held loosely in her hand. She took a dutiful sip. Eventually Giles numbly joined them in the living room.

"Rupert?" she asked. He had blood on his hands and shirt and he stared at it for a moment before focusing on Joyce.

"She's unconscious," he told her. "She lost a lot of blood. Thankfully we were able to replenish some right away, and Ben and Abby brought more when they came. They're tending to her now. Fred is assisting."

"When can I see her?" Joyce asked.

"Ben said he would come out and talk to us as soon as he can," Giles told her. She nodded and began sipping the water again as Gunn entered the room.

"We have a problem," he said, speaking mainly to Wesley but loud enough that the whole group heard.

"With Spike?" Wesley asked as he put the baby on the ground. Billy had cried himself to sleep. Joyce passed off Alex to Nancy who lowered herself until she was sitting next to Billy. Ethan forced himself to stand, swaying slightly at the change of elevation, before joining the group as they headed downstairs.

"Not with Spike," Gunn said cryptically. "He's secured. I just am not sure how he got unsecured to begin with." He led them to the basement. The first thing they noticed was Spike chained up in the corner, still unconscious.

"Why isn't he in the cell?" Giles asked.

"That's a good question," Gunn said as he moved over to the cell door. "A better one is how he got out." He pulled on the door, which was still locked.

"What?" Giles asked as he moved forward to examine the cell. The chains Spike wore were still inside the cell, the manacles firmly locked around wrists they no longer contained.

"Magic," Ethan said calmly holding his hands over the bars.

"That's the only explanation that makes sense," Gunn said, obviously giving this more thought than the others. "If he broke out we would see some sign of damage, but there's nothing. I think the same spell that kept us inside the houses took him outside."

"This isn't the work of a coven," Ethan said as she studied the room. "I can track this."

"Do it," Giles said as he headed toward the far wall. The keys to both the cell and the chains were dangling on the hook, right where he left them.

"Is that how Buffy got out?" Joyce asked as he opened the door and together they moved the vampire back inside. "The door was still bolted, higher than she could reach, and the windows on the upper floor don't open enough for anyone to crawl out of, even if she could."

"It's highly possible," Wesley agreed as they finished securing the vampire. "Most likely the same person that blocked the sun enough to let Drusilla wonder around during the day. A terrifying thought."

"Why?" Joyce asked.

"Because it would take an exceptionally strong witch or warlock to do this," Giles told her. "Not only did they overcome nature, they overcame our own defenses." They closed the cell door once they were done and stood back as Ethan began chanting. Giles studied his former friend intently when suddenly a symbol started to glow on the back wall. He quickly opened his notebook to a blank page and drew the symbol. Ethan lowered his arms, then collapsed into the bars. Gunn and Wesley were there to pull him upright. "I suggest we take this back upstairs," Giles said, studying the symbol intently. They all nodded, returning to the living room just as Ben came looking for them.

"She's very lucky," he told them as they sat down. "She lost a lot of blood, which we are slowly replenishing. She needed thirty-seven stitches in her neck to repair the damage."

"Buffy was pulled away rather forcefully while Drusilla was feasting," Giles told him. Ben nodded.

"That would explain the damage. Luckily nothing vital was injured. She'll probably have a nasty scar on her neck, but hopefully that is the extent of the attack."

"Hopefully?" Joyce asked, catching onto his little slip. He sighed.

"She's still unconscious," he admitted. He raised his hands at their immediately worried look. "This is normal," he assured them. "Even if she was at full Slayer power I wouldn't expect her to bounce back from something like this within an hour. She's responding well to her treatments. Her pulse and blood pressure have stabilized and she's getting some color back. You know how she is. She'll wake up when she's ready."

"Does she need to go to the hospital?" Joyce asked. Ben sighed, thinking deeply. They both knew she hated hospitals, but at the same time if it was serious enough Joyce would admit her.

"Not yet," he said after a few minutes. "I'll stick around for a few hours and see how she does." Joyce nodded as Abby came out of the room.

"Did you want to take the extra supplies back Doctor?" she asked. Ben shook his head.

"Leave them here. I noticed they were starting to run low on gauze and sutures."

"The extra blood?" she asked.

"Leave it," he said. "Having blood on hand definitely saved her life. It might have been too late if they had to wait for us." She nodded, anticipating that response. Giles and Wesley took the boxes they brought and started putting the extra medical supplies away, ensuring everything that needed to be refrigerated or under lock and key was properly stored. Abby followed, making sure everything was safe and secure before excusing herself and leaving the house.

"Can I see her?" Joyce asked, even though it was technically her house. Ben nodded and led the way to the hospital room. Fred saw them coming in and quietly excused herself.

"I have her on a saline drip, antibiotic drip, and several blood drips," he explained unnecessarily.

"You put her in a gown," Joyce said as she reached over and grabbed a pale hand.

"Just her top," he told her. "We had to remove her shirt in order to access the wound." The two of them stood there in silence for a moment before Ben spoke. "How was L.A.?"

"The checkup went fine," she told him. "They were still waiting on test results when we came back. They said they would keep you informed every step of the way."

"They have," he confirmed. "The initial tests are very promising. But the hospital wasn't what I was talking about." Joyce sighed and closed her eyes before looking at him. "She was underweight before and now it looks like she has lost another five pounds at least."

"She hasn't been eating," Joyce admitted, looking at her unconscious daughter.

"Since when?" he demanded.

"A few days since your last checkup." Ben growled as he made a notation in his notebook.

"Any idea what brought this on?" he asked.

"Ethan," Giles answered from the doorway. The two turned, not realizing he had joined them. Giles pulled off his glasses and began polishing them. "Ethan showed up a day after her last checkup. Since then she hasn't been eating or sleeping. Joyce thought taking Buffy to L.A. would free her from him."

"Free her?" Ben asked. "Interesting choice of words."

"Ethan has admitted that he did some initial work for The Ring," Giles told him. "We think she might see him as a Master."

"And conditioned to obey," Ben finished the disturbing thought. "Has he done anything to support that thought?"

"Nothing," Giles told him. "He has done everything we have asked of him. He claims he's here to help."

"And you believe him?" Joyce asked evenly.

"At first no," he admitted, "but his behavior since has slowly been changing my mind." He turned to Joyce. "If I thought he had or would hurt Buffy I would have dealt with him before now."

"You'd go all Ripper on him?" Joyce asked.

"In a heartbeat." Giles smiled softly. After a minute Joyce responded in kind. They turned to look at Ben, who had been watching their interaction curiously.

"Taking her to L.A. didn't help, did it?" he asked after a few minutes of silence. Joyce shook her head.

"It almost made it worse," she admitted. "Before we left she kept trying to go to him. Once we left it's as if she realized she couldn't get to him and she almost shut down. I could barely get her to do anything. She wouldn't sleep. I couldn't get her to eat anything. I even tried tomato juice, but she just took a couple sips before ignoring it."

"And now that she's back?" he asked.

"I hoped that he would be gone by now and she would think he was never really here," Joyce admitted. "Other than that I don't know. We only got in this morning and haven't really spent any time with Ethan."

"That's not true," Giles said suddenly. "She went to him and he got her to sleep. For over five hours." Joyce closed her eyes at what he said.

"Maybe it's true?" she asked Giles, looking at him wishfully. "Maybe he's here to help?"

"Maybe," he admitted, unwilling to concede the point but unable to ignore the evidence.

"Well see if he can get her to eat something," Ben said, "because if she continues to lose weight I'll need to admit her and either force feed her or put the feeding tube back in. And I don't think she'll like either of those options." They nodded and Ben left the room, leaving the family together.


	14. Chapter 14

One of these days I'll post something that isn't riddled with mistakes. Those have been fixed. Thanks Daiz.

As for the in-laws, they were still there. They saw the whole thing. They're still floating around somewhere. They're just so not important right now.

* * *

"Joyce?" Xander called out as he entered the house a couple hours later. "Are you still here?" He heard sounds coming from the kitchen and moved to investigate. "Ben?" he asked, shocked to see the doctor leaning against the island.

"Xander," Ben greeted, turning around to face the young man.

"What are you doing here?" he asked. He stopped suddenly when he saw the hole where the doors and windows used to be. "What happened?" he asked as he realized Giles and Ethan were cleaning up broken glass and wood.

"Drusilla," Giles cursed as he stood up, stretching his back in the process.

"Is everybody okay?" Xander asked as he took the broom and dustpan from the older Englishmen. "The twins?"

"Everybody's fine," Giles reassured him. "Wesley and Gunn took them over to my flat until we get this mess cleaned up."

"Buffy?" Xander asked quietly. Giles closed his eyes just as Joyce walked into the room.

"She just woke up," she said to Ben. He nodded and left. She looked over at Xander. "I thought I heard you come in," she said as she helped sweep the floor. Giles and Ethan took the last few solid pieces of wood to the dumpster. "Did you need something?"

"It's not important," he shrugged as he held the dustpan. Soon all the glass and wood splinters were gone. Xander moved to the hole and began to examine it. "Damn. They bent the frame. I'll need to replace it before I can hang new doors." He turned to smile at Joyce. "Good thing I have so much practice replacing doors and windows at The Magic Box." She smiled at his joke.

"Was there something you needed?" she asked again. He sighed and came to lean against the island.

"I was hoping to ask you something, but I think this is a bad time."

"There is never a good time," she told him. "Ask."

"Okay." He took a deep breath and looked straight at her. "But remember you are absolutely allowed to say no."

"Xander!" she said impatiently.

"Okay," he relented. "You know how the company won the contract to rebuild the High School?" She nodded. "The new principal is very involved in every aspect of the school, including the design. He and Wayne have been talking and emailing back and forth since we won the bid. Wayne has a rough design plan for the school and the principal wants to come out and check it out in person."

"That sounds reasonable," she said, still unsure where he thought she would fit into this.

"Mike wants to give him a nice dinner while he's here. I was kinda hoping you could play hostess."

"Tonight?" Joyce asked, equal parts worry and exasperation.

"No," Xander quickly reassured her. "It will be a few weeks away. The boss would do it, but his wife was always the hostess. His hosting ability died with her. And if you say no we can always have it at a nice restaurant so there's no pressure."

"Why don't you ask Anya to host?" Joyce asked. Xander blushed.

"I love her," he started, wanting to make that part absolutely clear, "but there are some things she still doesn't get about being human. We've been to parties with other couples from work. They know what to expect, but sometimes she still leaves them speechless, and not necessarily in a good way. And I really want to make a good impression." Joyce sighed.

"Okay," she told him.

"Thank you." He gave her an impulsive hug. When he pulled back he had a big grin on his face. "I'll tell the boss and get a firm date. And the company will cover all the costs."

"Xander," she interrupted his celebrating. "I want Anya to help host or she's never going to learn how to do this." He nodded.

"I'll ask her tonight," he said.

"And there's one more thing I need you to do."

"Name it," he told her. She looked over at the gaping hole.

"I need a door."

"On it," he said, racing out of the house. A few minutes later he returned with his tool belt. He began taking measurements. "I won't be able to replace the frame until tomorrow," he told her as he wrote the dimensions in a notebook. "The best I'll be able to do right now is cover it."

"As long as it's safe," Joyce said, pouring herself a cup of coffee. Xander nodded.

"Giles said Drusilla did this?" he asked as he got out the tools he would need to straighten the edges of the hole.

"No actually Spike did," Joyce admitted. "Drusilla attacked and there was some sort of magic that held us hostage inside the house. Spike ran Drusilla off and literally broke the door down to get inside."

"But no one got hurt?" he double checked. Joyce sighed. He stopped and looked at her. "Joyce?"

"Drusilla attacked Buffy," she reluctantly admitted, paling a bit at the memory. "She almost killed her. Would have if Spike wasn't there."

"Wait a minute. Spike saved her? Even when he's all demony?"

"Yep," Joyce nodded. Xander looked back at her confused.

"How did Dru even get here? Wasn't it the middle of the day? For that matter how did Spike get out? Or Buffy? She's never alone outside."

"Magic," Giles said as he and Ethan returned from the trip to the dumpster.

"So you finally admit your witch is behind this?" Ethan asked. Xander looked irate at the slander.

"You know Willow would never help Dru," Xander argued on Willow's behalf. Giles held up a hand.

"I have proof that Willow is behind this," he admitted quietly. Ethan looked smug. "I'm just not sure how. I actually think this brings up more questions than answers."

"What?" Xander and Ethan asked at the same time just as Ben reentered the kitchen. He headed straight for Joyce.

"I'm not going to admit her," he told her. "But I do insist on bed rest until she has finished the IVs. And she needs to eat something."

"I know," Joyce told him.

"Something simple tonight. Maybe broth and crackers. You can disconnect the IVs as she finishes them, not before. If you need help I can come back." Joyce nodded. "I'll be back to check on her in a few days. And I'll need to see improvement in the weight department or I will have no choice but to admit her."

"Thank you," Giles shook his hand and walked him to the door. When he returned to the kitchen Ethan and Xander were glaring at each other.

"I've been saying she's behind the whole thing since I got here," Ethan pointed out.

"You really don't think Willow would ever hurt any of us?" Xander asked as soon as he saw him. Giles sighed.

"I think we should wait for Willow to get home before we continue this conversation." They both nodded. "How can we help with the door?"

"Well," Xander started, not wanting to stop defending his friend but knowing Giles well enough to know he wouldn't discuss that anymore right now. "We're just gonna cover it for tonight. I have some pieces of plywood in my workshop. We'll need five of them, plus my saw." Giles nodded and dragged Ethan away to get the supplies. Xander turned back to the hole and began taking his frustration out on the project. Joyce helped wherever she could, but spent most of her time with Buffy.

"What happened to the doors?" Dawn asked when she made her way back from school. She entered the kitchen to get a snack just as they were finishing up.

"Drusilla," everyone answered at the same time.

"Okay," she sounded unsure, but when nobody elaborated she just shrugged. "I'll just go get started on my homework," she said as she grabbed an apple and left. A few minutes later they finished covering the hole where the doors had been. They each left to freshen up, returning a few minutes before the group from the shops got home. Andrew immediately went into the kitchen, stopping short at the newly installed wall.

"Is it safe to cook?" Andrew asked. Anya smacked him on the arm. "Owe," he complained as he moved toward the oven. The girls just looked at each other curiously.

"Giles," Willow said when he, Ethan, and Xander reentered the kitchen. "What happened?"

"As if you don't know," Ethan glared at her.

"She didn't do this," Xander countered, putting himself between the girls and the chaos mage. The girls looked at each other again.

"Giles," Tara spoke up first. "What's going on?"

"Drusilla attacked," he told them, repeating the story for their benefit. "Perhaps we can continue this conversation in the library," he said once he finished. The girls nodded their head. They all followed him out of the kitchen, detouring to check on Buffy and Joyce before they gathered in the library. Dawn sighed as she closed her book.

"Guess I'm not getting any homework done in here," she said as she gathered her books.

"Wait," Giles told her. "This won't take long and I think you'll want to hear what I say." She nodded and sat back down. A few minutes later Joyce joined them. "Now that everybody is here I believe I know who is behind this situation." He turned to Willow. "Before I tell you my theory I need to ask you a question Willow, and I need you to be perfectly honest with me." She nodded. "Have you cast any spells today?"

"No," she said breathlessly.

"Have you been alone at all today?" he continued.

"Only a few minutes to go to the bathroom," she told him. "The whole day I've been either with Tara in The Gallery or Anya in The Magic Box." The other two nodded, backing up her story. He nodded, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"I knew you didn't really think she did it," Xander crowed.

"Oh, I know Willow did it," Giles countered. Xander immediately stopped celebrating.

"What are you talking about Rupert," Joyce demanded, stepping up protectively next to Willow. Giles sighed, pulling off his glasses.

"I'm not sure how much you know about Covens," he started. "They are rather remarkable things. They provide safety in numbers, knowledge from all those before, and strength a solitary magician simply can't find by themselves."

"We know that," Anya told him bluntly. "That's basic magic."

"Here's something you may not know," he finished. "Magic is as much an art form as painting and sculpting. Just like other artists, magicians develop a signature that is distinctly theirs. When a magician joins the coven, their signature is absorbed by the coven just as their magic is."

"They lose their signature?" Dawn asked.

"No," Ethan said, smirking. "You can't lose your signature. It's like trying to lose your fingerprint. But if a bunch of witches combine their magic, they combine their signature."

"At that point it becomes a sign of the Coven," Giles explained, "but it is almost always impossible to identify an individual magician in a Coven's sign." He finished polishing his glasses and put them back on. "This afternoon was different. This wasn't the work of a Coven, but of a single witch. And Ethan was able to identify their signature." He pulled the notebook out of his pocket and showed them the symbol he drew.

"So we find out who belongs to that symbol and stop them," Xander said. Giles sighed.

"Willow," he began, but she interrupted him.

"I didn't do this," she shrieked. He raised his hands to calm her down.

"I don't think you did," he said calmly. He placed a blank sheet of paper on the table. "Can you levitate that in the air for a few minutes please? Just you. Don't assist her Tara." She nodded and effortlessly lifted the paper. A few minutes later Giles had her stop. "Ethan?" he asked.

"Sure," he said, repeating the spell he had used earlier. A symbol appeared above the paper, which Giles carefully copied onto another blank piece of paper. When he was done he put the two symbols side by side. "Oh my God," Ethan said as he stared between the two symbols.

"They're similar," Joyce said, immediately noticing the minute differences, "but not identical." She turned to Giles. "What does that mean."

"A signature grows as the magician does," he told them, "but it can't be copied or manipulated. Willow cast the spells this afternoon. But it was not the Willow sitting before us." Willow looked up, not quite sure what he meant. Ethan started laughing hysterically.

"You, my dear, have an evil twin."


	15. Chapter 15

Thanks for the reviews. They always make my day. As for everybody's reactions, I think they have all been doing this so long that they take their cues from their parents, Joyce and Giles in this case. They're not worried unless their parents are worried. And since Joyce and Giles got their worry out of the way last chapter, and are definitely in clean up mode when the kids get back, the kids are also in clean up mode. I'm sure that everyone went to check on Buffy at some point when they heard of the attack, but it's mundane enough to not make the cut in my book. It's background noise, just like the in-laws reactions. And speaking of the in-laws. They're back!

Enough ramblings. Let's get this chapter started.

Warnings and disclaimer in Chapter 1. Enjoy.

* * *

"Joyce?" Joyce looked up as Irene timidly stood in the doorway to their hospital room. Joyce waved her in. "Nancy told me there was an attack," she said as she looked around the room, her curiosity getting the better of her. Joyce nodded as she turned back to the bed. She was in the middle of changing the linens when her thoughts drifted. "Is Buffy okay?" Irene asked as she stepped up and grabbed hold of the fresh sheets. Joyce looked up, startled. Irene smiled and between the two of them they soon had the bed made.

"She's fine," Joyce said as she gathered up the soiled linens. She placed them in a basket but made no move to take them out of the room. "She's upstairs in her room," Joyce told her as she tidied up the room.

"What happened?" she asked as she held a bag for the trash Joyce was picking up. She looked up abruptly when she saw the remnants of IV and blood bags. Joyce sighed.

"Buffy doesn't do hospitals very well," she explained as she grabbed the bag and cinched it up tight. "Ben, our family physician, helped us set up this room. He comes here whenever Buffy needs medical attention." A little simplified, but Joyce thought she explained the room quite well.

"The benefits of a small town," Irene agreed. Joyce took the bag outside to the dumpster, surprised when Irene followed them. "What happened?" she asked again.

"It was an animal attack," Joyce said, giving her the same excuse she had heard so many times since moving here. "Buffy was outside enjoying the sunshine when it attacked. I rushed out and scared it away."

"And the door?" Irene asked, her eyebrow cocked.

"The door was sticking," Joyce answered honestly. "You know how it is. When your child is in danger nothing will stand in your way." Irene nodded. Joyce turned to go back into the house when Irene grabbed her arm. Joyce stopped and turned, regarding her cautiously. "Was there something else?" she asked quietly.

"Yes," Irene said, letting go of Joyce and taking a few steps away from the house. Joyce followed her. "I want to apologize for my behavior," she said, once she was sure she wouldn't be overheard. "I'm sure Dawn will tell you how judgmental and disproving I was, if she hasn't already. I just never expected your life to be so rich and full. And I realized I could have been a part of it and chose not to. I was angry and disappointed, mostly at myself, but I took it out on all of you. I'm sorry."

"But," Joyce said tiredly. Irene looked down for a minute before looking her in the eye.

"But are you sure you haven't bitten off more than you can chew?" she asked. "I mean it's noble, looking after a stranger's children, but are you really sure it's the best for you? For them? Especially considering the situation you find yourself in with Buffy? She needs her mother right now."

"Buffy's situation?" Joyce laughed hysterically. She took a few steps away before turning back. "You have no idea what Buffy's situation is. You only see what you want to see." She stormed back, stopping just a few inches from her former mother-in-law. "I will take care of Buffy. I will take care of the twins."

"You need help," Irene argued.

"I have help," Joyce countered. "It's called a family. And unfortunately, you choose not to be part of it." Joyce returned to the house, Irene reluctantly following her. She saw Stephen, Hank, and Nancy watching from the living room and angrily rushed past.

"Oof." She looked up to find that she had run into Andrew.

"I'm sorry," she said, quickly backing up a few steps. She took a deep breath to control her anger.

"That's okay," Andrew grinned, oblivious to her bad mood. Joyce smiled fondly at him.

"Was there something you needed?" she asked. His optimistic attitude had mostly chased her anger away.

"I was going to tell you dinner will be ready in five minutes," he said. "Per your request, I prepared some broth for Buffy."

"Thank you Andrew," she said. He stood there watching her. "Was there something else?"

"Yes," he said, handing her one of the baby monitors. "She's starting to stir."

"Thank you," she said. He bowed and made his way to the living room to announce dinner. She took the monitor and turned the volume all the way up as she made her way to the stairs. She could hear the rustle of blankets being moved and quickened her pace. "Buffy?" she said quietly as she approached the door to her room. She approached the bed, noticing Buffy's eyes moving quickly underneath her eyelids. "You're having a nightmare," she said, reaching out to touch Buffy's shoulder. The light touch was enough to wake up her daughter. Buffy opened her eyes and looked around in confusion before focusing on her mother. "It's okay. I'm here."

Buffy raised her hand to her neck, her fingers brushing against the bandages. Joyce let her explore her wound for a few minutes before grabbing her hand. "You're okay," she said, smiling brightly at her daughter. A few minutes later Buffy returned the smile weakly. Satisfied, Joyce stood up and began rummaging through Buffy's closet. She picked out a cute blouse then turned back to her daughter. "I'm sure it's not what you would have picked, but I don't think you want to go down to dinner wearing a hospital gown."

Buffy looked down at herself before letting Joyce change her clothes. Once she was done she moved Buffy to her chair and wheeled her down to the dining room. The others were already gathered and to her surprise they were waiting for her. She nodded to her in-laws as she pushed Buffy to her usual spot at the head of the table.

"Anya took the twins," Giles told her when she looked for them. "She didn't think there would be enough room for everyone."

"She's probably right," Joyce said. While the table was normally large enough for their extended family, their spots were taken by Hank and his family. This wasn't a problem, except they also had Ethan and for some reason Fred with them as well.

"I can leave if you need me to," Fred offered. "I was just talking with Mr. Giles and have to admit the thought of a home cooked meal was too tempting to pass up."

"That's okay," Joyce said. "We can scrunch."

"Dinner is served," Andrew announced as he brought a plate of ravioli in from the other room. Dawn went to help him and soon the entire meal was on the table.

"Aren't you joining us?" Dawn asked when Andrew bowed and turned to leave.

"I would but Anya invited me over for a movie night," he said proudly. "We're gonna watch that new Meg Ryan film."

"Have fun," Joyce called out as he left. Everyone began dishing up their plates except Joyce, who focused on the bowl of broth Andrew had left near her. "You need to eat something Buffy," she said as she picked up a spoon and dunked it in the broth. Buffy tried to turn her head, but Joyce grabbed her chin and forced her to look at her. "Buffy!" she said warningly. Buffy reluctantly opened her mouth and Joyce thrust the spoon in. She tipped the spoon and unloaded the broth. Buffy swallowed instinctively, but was able to spit out most of the broth when Joyce removed the spoon. "Buffy!" Joyce exclaimed as she grabbed a rag and began cleaning up her daughter. Buffy took advantage of the situation and looked around the table, her gaze landing on Ethan.

"She is still quite fixated on me," Ethan remarked. Joyce rolled her eyes before loading up the spoon again. She moved Buffy's head again and forced the spoon back in. This time she held her hand over her mouth as she withdrew the spoon.

"Swallow," she ordered. Buffy tried to shake free, but she was still too weak to break Joyce's grip. After a few minutes she swallowed. Joyce moved her hand. "You have to start eating or Ben will have to put you back into the hospital," Joyce told her as she prepared another spoonful. "You don't want to go back do you?" Buffy shook her head. She reluctantly let another spoonful in, but it still took a few minutes of Joyce's coaxing before she swallowed. Giles turned to Ethan as Joyce cleaned up the broth that trickled from her mouth.

"I don't suppose you have any idea why she's acting this way?" he accused. Joyce looked up at the question and realized nobody was eating. They were all watching her.

"No idea," Ethan whispered, his eyes never leaving the two of them. Joyce looked pointedly at Dawn, who quickly got the message and started her own dinner. The others followed suit. Joyce looked back at Buffy. She picked up the spoon again, but Buffy still was fighting her. Fifteen minutes later she had managed only three more spoons of broth and Joyce was getting more and more frustrated.

"Buffy!" Hank snapped in annoyance. "Do as your mother tells you." Her reaction was instantaneous and not what anyone expected. She froze completely, every muscle seizing up. She looked to him with pure terror on her face.

"Buffy?" Joyce asked, her annoyance out the window at this latest development. Buffy's eyes quickly darted her way before focusing on Hank again. Slowly her body began to tremble, until violent shivers were racking her slim frame. Everyone looked between Hank and Buffy as they slowly overcame their shock. Ethan was the first one up. He pulled Hank to his feet, pulled his right arm forward, and pushed his long sleeve up.

"Interesting tattoo," he said as he moved enough for Giles to see it. "I have a similar one myself." He rolled his sleeve up until his tattoo was showing. Giles and Joyce looked between the two men, understanding showing on their faces.

"Hank!" Joyce ordered, her voice seething with anger. "Downstairs now!" She left the table, not even bothering to check to see if he was following her. He silently rocked back and forth for a moment before following. As soon as he was gone Giles moved over to Buffy.

"Buffy?" he reached out slowly, watching carefully for any sign she was uncomfortable with him. He gently took her hand in his. She tensed at the contact, but didn't pull away and neither did he. "It's okay. You're safe," he repeated over and over again. They could hear raised voices coming from the basement as the argument escalated. Giles reached over and shifted Buffy's head until she was looking at him. As soon as she recognized him she flung herself into his arms. Her shaking hadn't stopped, and the argument downstairs was getting more and more heated. He made a quick decision and hoisted Buffy into his arms. "I'm taking her to her room," he told Dawn. She nodded and started picking at her food again as he quickly left the room. Twenty minutes later a fuming Joyce rejoined them. She stopped at the table, glaring at Ethan, before realizing they were missing.

"He took her up," Dawn said as she ate.

"Of course," Joyce said angrily. She turned to head upstairs when Dawn reached out and grabbed her arm.

"Mom," she started, looking up at her. "You need to calm down. You know Buffy can always tell your moods."

"Right." Joyce took a few deep breathes before returning to her chair. She finally dished herself some food, not even noticing how it was starting to turn cold. Dawn watched her carefully as she started to eat.

"Giles will sort her out," Dawn tried to reassure her. "He always does."

"It should be me," she whined, her anger disappearing as she talked to Dawn.

"She's growing up," Dawn said gently. Joyce laughed until Hank rejoined them. She glared at him, but he uncharacteristically remained passive, head bowed as he slowly finished his dinner.

"I'll leave," he said as he pushed his clean plate away. Joyce shook her head, her anger warring with her common sense. Common sense won, but not by much.

"No," she told him harshly. "It's dark and not safe." He nodded.

"Then I'll leave in the morning," he said. Joyce nodded her head.

"Don't come back," she said as she strode from the room. Dawn followed her.

"Where are you going?" she asked as Joyce grabbed her coat. "Are you going to do something stupid?"

"No sweetie," she said, pulling Dawn close. Dawn wrapped her arms around her mother for a quick hug, trying to get her calmer. "I'm just going to go crash movie night. I need to see the twins."

"Drusilla is still out there," Dawn reminded her. "She can get past the property line. She can attack anyone who leaves this house."

"I'd love to see her try," Joyce said darkly. Dawn sighed. She glanced at the crystals, both of which were still clear.

"Promise me you'll be careful," she said, temporarily flopping their roles. "If you don't think it's safe it's okay to spend the night there. Giles and I can handle everything here."

"Dawn," Joyce sounded exasperated. "Who's the mother here?"

"That's kinda what I'm asking myself," she grinned. Joyce returned the smile before becoming serious.

"I just need to get away before I do something I'll regret," Joyce told her. Dawn nodded.

"From Hank," she said. Joyce looked at her tenderly.

"We'll talk later," she promised.

"I'll hold you to that," she said as she walked her mother to the door. Dawn flipped on the lights then frowned and hit a second switch. The small porch light was drowned out as powerful spotlights lit up the entire front area. Minutes later the spotlights flipped on from Xander's house and soon after Willow's house. The effect had the whole area as brightly lit up as the noonday sun.

"A bit of overkill don't you think?" Joyce said as she opened the door and stepped out.

"So sue me," she said. Joyce reached out and gently cupped her chin before she started the trek across the yard. Xander saw where she was heading and opened the door, standing on the porch with a crossbow loaded and ready to go. She could see Willow and Tara looking out of their window, but that didn't explain the sense she had that something evil was watching her. Shivering, she sped up, barely acknowledging Xander as she passed the threshold. He waited long enough to watch Dawn close her door before following Joyce in. Seconds later the spotlights were turned off, nearly simultaneously. Dawn returned to the dining room only to find everyone's eyes on her. She realized they must have seen the spotlights and gotten curious. "We really don't like the dark," she said simply as she sat down. She had really lost her appetite but realized nobody had eaten much and hoped they would follow her lead. It worked, kind of. After about ten minutes she realized everybody, including her, was just pushing their food around their plates. "I guess everyone is done with dinner," she said as she stood up.

"Let us worry about the cleanup," Ethan offered. She gazed at him evenly. She knew none of the original Scoobies trusted him, Giles especially so, but he was being so charming. She nodded reluctantly.

"I've got homework still anyway," she said. She glanced at her grandparents, who had surprised her and offered to help clean up, then back to her father. Hank was still at the table, oblivious to everything around him, his eyes focused on Buffy's wheelchair. "I better take that up," she said, moving the chair and breaking him out of his trance.

"I'm so sorry Dawn," he told her. "So sorry." Her eyes narrowed suspiciously, but she simply nodded and pushed the empty chair away. She stopped at the library and grabbed the books she needed to read for English class before she pushed the chair over to the lift. A few seconds later she was on the second floor and approaching Buffy's room.

"Giles?" she called out quietly.

"Dawn," he responded quietly. He had Buffy against his chest, his arms wrapped protectively around her as they lay on the bed, their legs entangled. It looked like he was trying to cocoon her body with his. But it was working. Her shudders were becoming less and less pronounced.

"Mom went over to Xander's," Dawn told him quietly as she pushed the wheelchair to its usual place next to the bed. He looked up at her and she couldn't help the gasp that passed her lips at the fear in his eyes. Their normally stoic father figure looked absolutely terrified.

"Everyone else?" he asked her as he looked back at Buffy.

"Don't know," she said abruptly, "don't care. They're leaving in the morning."

"They're your family, Dawn," Giles told her gently. She huffed.

"You're my family," she countered, stepping up and putting a hand on his shoulder. He looked up and gave her a small, reassuring smile. He placed his hand over hers, holding it gently for a minute before pulling away. He refocused on Buffy while Dawn began putting her books on the dresser before pulling an oversized chair next to the bed.

"What are you doing?" he asked as she pulled out a spare pillow and blanket from the closet and started making herself comfortable.

"I still have some reading to do," she explained as she sat down, pulling her legs underneath her. She pulled the blanket around her and got comfortable. "I figure I can read here as well as anywhere else." Once she was settled she looked at Giles, who was watching her tenderly. She was happy to see some of the fear had left his eyes.

"Thank you," he told her quietly. She nodded.

"I'm here for both of you," she told him. He smiled as he refocused on the still trembling girl in his arms. Dawn watched for a minute before opening her history book.


	16. Chapter 16

Warnings and disclaimer in Chapter 1. Enjoy.

* * *

Joyce sighed in relief when she crossed the threshold into her house. It was the middle of the night and they had a psychotic vampire who could get past their protective boundary line, but after twenty minutes of staring out the window she decided to risk it. She did take precautions though. She had two stakes in her pockets and held a cross in each hand, and she made sure the crystals were both clear before she made her mad dash across the lawn.

She leaned against the closed doorway for a minute, letting her breathing calm back down as she thought about what she did. It took quite a long time for her to calm down, for a while not even holding the twins helped the raging anger she felt towards her ex-husband. Xander kept shooting concerned glances her way, while Anya watched her almost more than the movie she crashed. Andrew, uncomfortable with extreme shows of emotion, studied the movie so intently he didn't even look at her. Thankfully none of them pressed and she was feeling better when the movie ended and they went to bed. She stayed in their living room for a few more hours, mindlessly watching some late night horror film before she felt she could be in the same house as her in-laws.

With her breathing finally under control she turned to look at the house. It was obvious at first glance that everyone was upstairs in bed. She quietly made her way up the stairs, stopping outside Buffy's room. The door was closed but not shut so she gently pushed it open. She smiled at the scene inside. She expected someone to be in the bed with Buffy, but she didn't expect how completely Giles would be surrounding her, keeping her safe. She also didn't think that Dawn would be camped next to the bed, her textbook falling from limp fingers as she obviously fell asleep reading. Joyce quietly moved the book to a much safer position on the dresser before pulling the blanket up and tucking in her youngest. She turned and checked on Buffy, finding both her and Giles deeply asleep. Not willing to risk disturbing them, she backed out into the hall.

"Disgustingly charming isn't it?" She jumped at the voice, turning around with her fists raised. Ethan merely grinned at her. She glared back.

"What are you still doing here?" she hissed. "Why haven't you gone away already?"

"And miss all the fun?" he laughed mischievously. She scowled at him, glancing back to see if his outburst had woken any of them. She closed her eyes in relief when she saw they were all still sleeping. Closing the door, she glared at him once again then made her way to the kitchen. He followed her.

"Can I interest you in some tea?" he asked, looking around the kitchen until he saw the liquor cabinet. "Or perhaps something stronger?"

"Can I be blunt Mr. Rayne?" she asked as she started searching the refrigerator for some leftovers she could reheat.

"Only if you call me Ethan," he said, helping himself to a very generous portion of whiskey. He offered her the bottle, which she declined, then poured himself a second glass.

"I don't like you," she said as she put a plate in the microwave and turned to face him.

"To be fair, I didn't like you first," he countered, moving to sit opposite her on the island.

"You've never even met me until a few days ago," she sounded exasperated. He opened his mouth to protest but she silenced him with a glare. "I'm not counting teenage me, but the real adult me. How could you hate me first?"

"Because you stole him from me," Ethan said, more seriously than she had ever heard him speak. He didn't look at her, instead staring at the whiskey as if it held the answers to the universe.

"What?" she asked, not following his train of thought. He finally looked at her, his cocky grin back in place.

"Well, not necessarily you exactly, but rather your daughter." She looked at him in confusion before realizing where he was going.

"Rupert," she whispered, finally understanding what he was trying to say.

"Ripper," he confirmed, taking a deep swig of his drink. "He left me for a girl that hadn't even been born yet. At first I simply hated her, enough that I actually tried to have some fun with her." Joyce glared at him again. He raised his hands in surrender. "It was all in good fun I assure you. Even I was surprised by how successful the spell was. I never realized the true power of a Hellmouth until that time. If I knew then what I know now."

"You're not helping your cause Ethan," she told him. He shook his head to refocus his thoughts.

"That was the first time I met the girl that Ripper chose over me. She impressed me, more than I think even I realized at the time. I couldn't hate her anymore, so I focused my anger on you. When I got the job from Mr. Trick I couldn't believe my luck." He laughed. "But chaos is inherently chaotic. I met you for the first time and I couldn't hate you any longer either. You are both so spunky. I tried hating Ripper, after all he did choose you over me, but I couldn't hate him."

"So when the time came to help him you jumped," Joyce finished. She looked at him inquisitively. "You love him." He looked back into his drink.

"I've tried not to," he told her softly, "and make no mistake, I've had my fair share of lovers over the years, but no one has ever known me as well as he has." Joyce sighed as she pulled her plate from the microwave and slowly ate. "It's entirely one sided I believe. He has never shown anything more than best mate friendship toward me, and that was before our falling out." He turned to her once again. "I don't expect you to believe me any more than he did, but I am trying to help. I don't want to hurt him. I don't want to hurt anyone here because that will hurt him."

"I believe you," she said, seeing the sincerity on his face.

"Thank you," he told her.

"But that doesn't mean I trust you," Joyce added. Ethan smirked.

"You would be a fool to trust so easily," he said, "but I am trying to earn your trust. I can continue entertaining the in-laws so you won't have to."

"Thanks, but they'll be leaving in the morning." She began feeling the anger building in her again.

"I have no qualms killing that man for you?" he offered, but she shook her head.

"That man is Buffy's father," she said quietly.

"And one of her Masters," he countered. "Even I am disturbed by this."

"He'll be gone soon," she said distractedly, "and he knows not to come back. Besides, he's punishing himself more than I ever could." She stopped, looking at him intensely. "Why did you call him her Master?" He rolled up his sleeve, displaying the tattoo he showed them earlier.

"You can't get this tattoo just anywhere," he told her. "Only the Ring could mark someone with this particular brand."

"Yes, but she's never acted like that around you," Joyce said, thinking about their past interactions. "She's been drawn to you, but never scared of you."

"I've never commanded her to do anything either," he countered. "I simply cast the spell. I never tested the effectiveness of it." He sighed, looking pained at his next statement. "The tattoo on your ex-husband's arm is the mark of a buyer. As their property, the slaves of The Ring had to obey every command they gave." Joyce closed her eyes at the thought.

"So how do we undo the spell?" she asked, desperate enough to ask the chaos mage.

"I have no idea," he told her. "The spell forcing compliance was broken. She shouldn't be forced to follow any command she is given. Now the only one stopping her is herself."

"So it's a psychological reaction now?"

"I think so," he admitted. "And I have no idea how to help with that."

"Neither do I," she admitted. They fell into a comfortable silence. Ethan finished his whiskey first and casually excused himself. Joyce finished later, but found she was to wired to go to sleep. Instead she went up to her daughter's room and pulled up another chair and watched her family as they slept.

* * *

"Mom?" Dawn asked sleepily, blinking her eyes several times to try and clear them. Joyce looked up from the book she was trying to read. She picked it up last night, deciding to copy Dawn and pull one of her overstuffed chairs into Buffy's room and read. She never got far, picking up the book and reading a few pages until she lowered it and just watched her family.

"It's early Dawn," Joyce said softly, trying not to wake the Giles, or more importantly, Buffy. Dawn blinked again, twisting her body around to where her clock radio would be, but instead saw Buffy's chair. She shook her head slightly before looking at her mother.

"What time is it?" Joyce flicked her wrist.

"Just after five. You can go back to sleep for a bit."

"Naw," she replied, stretching as the blanket fell off. She stopped when she heard sounds coming from downstairs. She looked at her mother curiously.

"They're getting ready to leave," she told her daughter, trying hard to keep the anger out of her voice. She hadn't seen Hank at all, which was a relief to her, and had managed a friendly smile for Nancy, but had only been able to stare icily at Irene when she looked in on them on her way downstairs. Irene had looked at the scene in disbelief and was ready to comment when Joyce glared at her. Instead she mumbled a 'good morning' before hastily retreating. Joyce was fine with that, her anger at Hank extending to most of his family at this point.

"Are you going to go down?" Dawn asked as she stood up, picking up the blanket and quickly folding it before dropping it on the chair.

"I don't think it's a good idea," Joyce told her truthfully. Dawn nodded. While she wasn't entirely sure what happened last night, she knew it wasn't good. They both looked over when Buffy, despite sleeping deeply, shuddered. Giles automatically tightened his arm around the girl. Buffy calmed down and both of them kept sleeping.

"Well, I've entertained them the whole time. I guess it's only fitting I see them off."

"Make sure they don't leave until after sunrise," Joyce told her.

"I know," Dawn whined. "I'm not a kid anymore you know."

"I know," Joyce told her, reaching her arms out for a hug, which Dawn gave without hesitation. "I'm so proud of you." Dawn smiled before leaving the room, shutting the door behind her so nobody would inadvertently disturb them. Joyce tried to follow her own advice and get some sleep, but the increasing noise around them prevented her from doing much more than dozing. By the time the sun started peaking over the horizon she had given up on sleep and just stared out the window, watching the sun as it crept closer and closer to her house. Finally, her home was bathed in the warm glow.

She heard the front door open and close several times, but based on the noise around her she knew her in-laws had not left yet. She figured Andrew had returned to his beloved kitchen, probably with the others right on his heels. Eventually the noise quieted. Joyce was just about to try to sleep once more when there was a quiet knock on the door. She debated ignoring it momentarily before sighing. She opened the door quietly, barely resisting rolling her eyes when Irene was on the other side. She took in the scene much more composedly than she did earlier. "Joyce, we're ready to leave," she started. "I know we haven't exactly been on the best of terms this trip, or even in the last few years if we're being honest." She stopped and her gaze flicked to Buffy. She frowned slightly at the sight of Giles cradling her grandchild, but wisely kept quiet. "But if you ever need anything I want you to know you can call me. Any time, for any reason."

"Thank you," she replied, knowing Irene was holding out an olive branch even though she knew it was unlikely she would ever call them. She would call the Watcher's Council before calling these people. Irene nodded and walked off, leaving Nancy, who was standing behind her mother. Joyce didn't even notice until then.

"Well," she began awkwardly, "this has certainly been an interesting experience." Joyce gave her a small smile, her relationship with Nancy was the strongest amongst her former in-laws.

"You're handling it better than I did," Joyce told her. Nancy shook her head.

"I'm staying strong," she said, "for everyone else. Believe me, once everything settles down I am headed for some serious denial." They both laughed quietly before becoming serious again. "I don't know what my brother did, but something has been bothering him since he got back. I don't know what you talked about down in that basement, but he's been different since then, like a weight has been lifted." Joyce started to speak, but Nancy quickly continued. "I don't want to know. At least, I don't think I want to know. I just want to say thank you. I know you probably didn't want to help him, but you did." Joyce sighed.

"As much as I hate him right now, I'm glad he's finding peace." Nancy nodded and hugged Joyce.

"If you ever need anything," she said, much more sincerely than her mother. Joyce nodded, knowing she probably wouldn't take her up on her offer either. The two women pulled apart. "It really was nice seeing you again, despite the circumstances."

"You too," Joyce said, tears in her eyes. Nancy nodded as she turned and left. Joyce stood there for a few minutes, looking back at her daughter, before she decided she might as well start her day. She shut the door quietly before moving into her own room. After a quick shower and a change of clothes she felt like she could face the day. She headed to the kitchen to find the rest of the group gathered around the table in an uncomfortable silence. Even Andrew, who was usually oblivious to the moods of others, was sitting uncharacteristically quietly.

"Morning," Tara broke the silence first. She smiled nervously at Joyce.

"Morning," she responded brightly, trying to act like everything was normal. She headed into the kitchen, the others shuffling uncertainly behind her. "Pancakes?" she asked the group, surprised when Andrew didn't jump up to cook or even object to her doing the cooking.

"That would be great," Xander forced out. She nodded, pulling out what she would need to make the breakfast. A tense silence filled the room, the clinks of the pans being the only sounds filling the kitchen. "So," Xander started awkwardly, "the family is gone." Joyce sighed, laying down the spatula she had been using.

"Xander," she started, before realizing that everyone was watching her intently. "Okay everybody. Let's clear the air."

"What happened last night?" Anya asked with her usual level of bluntness. "We asked Dawn earlier, but she got really quiet and said she didn't know, which I'm not entirely sure I believe." She looked at Dawn accusingly, who wore a sheepish expression on her face.

"I don't know," she insisted, before adding reluctantly, "I do have some suspicions though. The only one who really knows is mom."

"And I don't want to talk about it," Joyce said sternly. "It's in the past, over and done with. Please don't ask me about it."

"But how are we supposed to not ask about it if you won't tell us what not to ask about?" Anya asked in her unique way. Joyce sighed and turned back to the stove instead of answering. All at once everyone turned their attention to Dawn.

"What?" she asked, before sighing. "I know it has something to do with dad. Hank I mean," she corrected automatically, "and it was bad. It's why they left so quickly this morning and why I don't think they'll ever be back." She sighed, looking at her mother intently, but she was pretending she couldn't hear any of them and just kept making breakfast. "And I think it has something to do with The Ring."

"The Ring?" Willow asked dumbfounded. "And your dad?" Dawn stayed quiet so the group turned back to Joyce. She stiffened her back but didn't turn around. The friends' expressions turned from shock to disgust as they thought about what Dawn said, and more importantly, what Joyce wasn't.

"I'll kill him." Xander didn't shout, but the quiet venom in his voice was scary.

"Xander," Joyce said in resignation. She slowly turned back to the group. "It's more complicated than that. Just please, give us time to get our heads around this."

"But what if he comes back?" Tara asked. Joyce noticed she didn't immediately object to Xander's proclamation. It showed how truly upset she was.

"He won't," she said simply, "at least not for a long time." One by one they nodded. "And please don't pester Rupert about this. Or Dawn. Or me."

"Fine," Xander conceded after a few minutes. "We'll be pester free." He thought for a minute. "We can still hate him though, right?"

"Absolutely," she grinned, returning to the oven. Soon she had a stack of pancakes, and plates full of eggs and bacon. The girls set the table while Xander and Andrew helped move all the food into the dining room. They were soon eating the delicious meal.


	17. Chapter 17

Grrrr... Fixed. And you're right. I originally had a different name in for Irene. For some reason names are the hardest thing for me to come up with so I'll usually put a generic name in as I'm writing and then go back and change them all once I find the right name. I have no idea how I skipped an entire chapter though. I guess I'm as ready for the in laws to leave as they are. Hehe. Back to the story.

Warnings and disclaimer in Chapter 1. Enjoy.

* * *

"Wonderful breakfast Ms. Summers," Andrew said after his first bite. "I don't think I could do any better."

"Thank you Andrew," she told him. He beamed as he went back to his food. They looked up from their breakfast when an untidy Giles entered the room, carrying Buffy in his arms. Joyce raised an eyebrow questioningly, but stayed quiet. Tara and Willow helped Giles into his chair while the others watched with various levels of fascination.

"Thank you," he said to them as they helped him perch Buffy on his lap. She was straddling his knee, her back up against his chest just like a toddler. She opened her eyes long enough to smile at them before closing them again and leaning back contentedly.

"Where's the chair?" Dawn asked. He looked up at her.

"She, umm, didn't want it," he stammered. Dawn looked back at her sister. She appeared completely relaxed, but on closer examination she could see her hand wrapped tightly around his arm. Dawn winced in sympathy. The others looked at each other before turning their attention back to the pair.

"Would you like some breakfast?" Joyce asked. Giles looked up in fear before forcing his fear aside. His stomach growled, reminding him he missed dinner last night, and churned at the same time.

"Maybe some tea?" he asked. "I'm feeling a bit queasy at the moment." She nodded and soon placed a cup before him. He grabbed the handle, taking a cautious sip while everyone returned to their own meals. The normal mundane chatter slowly started up, which comforted him more than he thought it should.

"Morning." Giles rolled his eyes as Ethan came strolling in. "What wonderful chaos are we going to get today?"

"Can I get you some tea Ethan?" Joyce asked.

"That would be wonderful, love," he said smiling at her. She returned the smile and left to get his tea.

"You seem awfully glib this morning," Giles snarked. Ethan smirked. "And when did you and Joyce start getting along so well?"

"We came to an understanding last night," he said, taking a seat next to Giles. Buffy opened her eyes, turning her head to watch him, but made no move to leave Giles's embrace. "So what's on the agenda for today? Do we still focus on the crazy vampire chained downstairs or do we start on the witch's evil doppleganger?"

"Ethan!" Joyce hissed as she handed him his tea. "We don't discuss these things in front of my daughter."

"Oh," Ethan looked chastised. "I'm sorry love. I didn't realize."

"Actually," Giles said, looking at Ethan in wonder, "she's curious about what you're talking about."

"Wait!" Xander spoke up. "What do you mean she's curious?" Giles was about to answer when the door opened. A minute later Wesley led his group into the dining room.

"Do you mind if we come in?" he asked, pulling in some stools from the kitchen with them. Joyce nodded her consent, and they made themselves comfortable around the table.

"Can I interest you in some breakfast?" Joyce asked politely. They shook their heads.

"We've already eaten," Wesley explained, "but thank you." She nodded before focusing on Giles.

"What did you mean?" she demanded. Buffy looked at her momentarily before refocusing on Ethan, but everyone could see she was starting to get uncomfortable. Giles didn't answer immediately, instead he focused on calming her down once again. Joyce, realizing she made her daughter uncomfortable, kept quiet and took a few steps back.

"I heard we missed some excitement last night," Wesley broke the uncomfortable silence after a few minutes. The Scoobies looked at him.

"Understatement of the year," Xander said, "but we missed it too. And nobody wants to talk about it, so tread lightly." Wesley nodded. After a few minutes Giles was able to calm Buffy down again.

"What did you mean Rupert?" Joyce asked again, calmly this time. Giles sighed, tightened his grip on Buffy, and turned towards her mother.

"Last night I felt something," he explained. "Something I can't quite explain. I felt fear. I felt Buffy's fear." There was silence after that.

"Everyone could tell she was terrified," Dawn attempted to interject some common sense. "Maybe you just displaced some of that?"

"No," Giles shook his head. "I had my own emotions that night. Confusion, which rapidly changed into anger, rage and hate." Dawn nodded, experiencing those same feelings. "I never felt fear until Buffy did, but I felt it as if it was my own."

"Are you sure you weren't just reacting to her reaction?" Joyce asked desperately. "Everything was so intense last night. I was afraid for her." He shook his head.

"No," he countered, barely resisting stomping his foot in a very childlike way. "I wasn't afraid for her or reacting to her distress. I felt her fear. There is no other explanation." He was quiet for a moment before adding. "I'm feeling a small amount of that fear right now."

"What?" Willow asked. Tara studied them intently, a frown forming on her face as struggled to understand what she was seeing. "You mean you're afraid she's still feeling fear?"

"No," Tara spoke up. She turned to him sheepishly. "I hope you don't mind that I read your aura." He smiled to show he wasn't mad. She turned to her girlfriend, but spoke loud enough for everyone to hear. "Buffy's aura is completely out of balance. Nowhere near her Slayer aura when we first met, but nothing like her aura after The Ring either. When Joyce brought her home, her aura was dimmed, almost like she didn't realize she could feel or didn't know what to feel. Since she's been back her aura has stabilized. She's coming to terms with her experience as best she can, but right now it's almost like when she first came home, only more intense. Fear and confusion are dominating her other emotions. Even on her worst days it's never been this bad. And Giles is almost a mirror image." Giles closed his eyes and concentrated.

"She's afraid of her mother," he said painfully, "but confused because her mother has always made her feel safe until now."

"She's afraid of me?" Joyce asked shakily, sinking onto a chair. Giles opened his eyes and stared at her.

"Not you," he clarified, "but what you can make her do." Joyce closed her eyes.

"You've bonded?" Wesley asked, awestruck. Giles looked to him desperately.

"How?" Giles asked. Anya was studying the pair intently, while the rest looked between Giles and Wesley. "There's no other explanation I can think of, but I always thought it would be a gradual process. Not out of the blue as this seems to be."

"What is bonded?" Gunn asked, "and what does that mean?" Wesley sighed.

"It means I never stood a chance as her Watcher," he sighed before turning to Giles. "Is it a complete bond?"

"I'm not sure," he admitted. "I'm sure it was last night, but since then it's been different. I'm not sure what are my feelings and what are hers."

"Interesting," Wesley said, taking his glasses off and polishing them.

"Very interesting," Xander parroted. "What's this bonded?"

"The bond between a Slayer and a Watcher," Anya told him.

"You know about this?" Xander asked. Anya threw him a look that said 'Duh' before turning back to Giles.

"I knew you were close, but I didn't realize you two had bonded." Wesley continued, not responding to the attempted interruption.

"Neither did I," he admitted. Joyce held up her hands to stop them.

"Okay," she interjected, frustration coloring her voice. "What is this bonding?" Giles looked up sharply as Buffy started trembling slightly. Joyce took a deep breath, closing her eyes while Giles comforted her daughter.

"Perhaps I can explain," Wesley offered. Everyone turned to look at him. "As you know, the bond between a Slayer and her Watcher is key in her ultimate success or failure."

"Which is why so much time and effort is spent pairing them up," Willow added, looking away from Tara for the first time. "Giles told us all about it. They have spells and seers and everything."

"Correct," Wesley agreed, "and for the most part relationships between Slayers and Watchers are successful, but on a level resembling a working relationship. Occasionally they will bond deeper, but anything more than a student teacher relationship is frowned upon. But every so often a Slayer and Watcher bond so closely they almost become one entity. Many times they become lovers." Ethan choked on the tea he had been sipping, turning to face Giles when his coughing fit was finished.

"Lovers?" he asked. Giles glared at him.

"Not that it's any of your business, but no." Buffy opened her eyes and stared at the chaos mage serenely.

"Many times when one of the bonded pair dies, the other follows quickly behind," Wesley finished solemnly. Everyone paled slightly. Buffy started fidgeting, sensing the discomfort in the room.

"It's one of the reasons the Council doesn't want Watchers to be emotionally connected to their Slayers," Giles told them once Buffy was calm again. "Active Watchers are incredibly hard to find. To risk losing one when their Slayer inevitably dies is a senseless loss. Which explains why the Cruciamentum is as much a test for the Watcher as the Slayer."

"I always wondered why you went through with it," Wesley admitted. "Though at the time, I naively assumed it was simply because it was Council policy."

"You did it to protect her," Joyce said, finally understanding herself. Giles nodded.

"I protested every step of the way," he admitted, "but I knew if I downright refused I would be removed and Buffy would be given a new Watcher. I hoped if I did their test they would leave us in peace."

"Well it almost worked," Wesley chuckled. "Though I doubt it ultimately worked out the way the Council hoped." He turned serious again. "But I don't know how you could become bonded so deeply without knowing."

"There's that word again," Xander interjected. "What exactly is bonded? How is it different than being close? Cause they've always been close."

"Yeah," Willow added. "Giles has always been able to tell if something was bothering her or if she was lying to him." Giles smiled at her.

"I do know her very well," he agreed, "but last night was different. I felt her fear, so sharply that it infused a cold terror in me that I still don't understand." He turned to Xander. "Bonding is a connection formed between Watchers and Slayers so deep that they can literally know what each other is thinking, feeling, or doing. They essentially become one. It is what every Watcher aspires to become. Only a handful of bonded pairs have been known to exist since Watcher's began, and those Slayers are legendary."

"You and Buff are pretty unstoppable," Xander tried again to understand.

"We made a good team," he conceded, "but it's different now. I was able to read her through her actions or her words, but now I feel her emotions."

"What about now?" Joyce asked. Giles frowned.

"It's muted now," he explained, "but I still feel fear mixed with confusion and curiosity."

"Muted?" Wesley asked. "If you're truly bonded the feelings should only increase, not become muted."

"I know," Giles snapped before sighing. "I'm sorry. It was a rough night for both of us and I'm a little snappish today."

"That's quite all right," Wesley grinned at him, putting his hand on the older man's shoulder, "but you do realize what this means don't you?"

"Research," Giles mumbled, without the enthusiasm that word usually brought. Everyone groaned with him, as he hung his head in exhaustion.

"Research?" Ethan asked. "We already have two situations to deal with and you want to add another?"

"I don't want to," Giles snapped, raising his head to glare at his former friend. "It seems as if we have no choice."

"It's getting a bit chaotic," the chaos mage grinned mischievously as he reached for some pancakes. "I'm beginning to see the appeal of this town."

"Ethan," Joyce warned as she finished her breakfast. While the others were finishing their plates she got a bowl and put some plain yogurt into it for Buffy. Buffy turned her head to watch her when she started to approach. She knelt next to the chair, reaching out to push back some of Buffy's hair which was falling over her face. "Hey baby. Did you sleep well last night?" Buffy didn't answer. Instead she kept her gaze firmly on Joyce's face. Her face was inscrutable, and not for the first time Joyce wished she would start talking. "Do you remember what we talked about last night? How you need to eat or Ben will have to put you back in the hospital?"

"Joyce," Giles warned even as Buffy reluctantly nodded. She glanced at him briefly before picking up the spoon. Joyce took a spoonful of yogurt and fed it to her daughter. Buffy struggled to eat and eventually almost all of it made it down. Joyce beamed at her daughter, while Giles was starting to look a little green.

"Another bite," she encouraged, raising the spoon to her lips again. Buffy obliged. Joyce watched happily as her daughter finally started eating again. The third spoonful was when she noticed Buffy's hands trembling slightly, but Buffy ate it with no complaint. Giles, however, was getting greener and greener.

"Stop!" he said after a fourth bite was eaten. He looked between the two of them before pushing his chair back as far as it could go. He was just in time too, as a second later Buffy began to throw up. He held her upright as vomit and bile began running down her chin and onto her shirt, even as he closed his eyes tightly to control the rising nausea he was feeling. After a few minutes her stomach was empty, but she continued to dry heave for another couple of minutes before she slumped back against Giles in exhaustion.

"Buffy?" Joyce was already there with a towel, starting to clean her daughter up. The Scoobies looked on in sympathy, this was not the first time Buffy had vomited all over herself, while the fang gang backed away until they were safely out of range. They slowly gathered the dishes, nobody had any appetite after that, and began cleaning up while Joyce saw to her daughter. "Rupert?" she asked. He still looked a little green.

"I think I know why I'm nauseous," he said calmly, opening his eyes and looking at her. "But I don't think it's me and I don't think it's an emotional response." She caught his eye before sighing.

"I'll call Ben once we get everything cleaned up," she said. Giles nodded.


	18. Chapter 18

AN: Almost done. One more chapter after this. I am so sorry about the crazy and inconsistent posting schedule, stupid real life. But that does raise an interesting point I have been thinking about, and I would love any feedback you guys have about my usual posting schedule. My stories are always complete when I start posting, I tried a WIP once and that didn't end well, so I can post new chapters whenever I want. I usually post a new chapter every day. My stories are pretty long, I don't think I could write a short story if my life depended on it, so that means usually two to three weeks of daily updates, which suddenly seems like a lot to take in all at once. Would it be better to put a couple of days between chapters, give people time to actually read before getting new stuff, or do you like the chapter a day that I usually stick to? Any ideas, thoughts, concerns, comments; please let me know. Otherwise, enough of my ramblings. On to the show.

Once again I reiterate I have no medical training whatsoever. This chapter deals with medical situations. I have no idea if they are realistic or not, although I tried my best to be as accurate as possible. I researched what I could, made up what I couldn't, and painted the whole thing with creative vision.

Warnings and disclaimer in Chapter 1. Enjoy.

* * *

"How are you doing?" Tara asked Joyce once the meal was finished. Joyce had tried to take Buffy upstairs to clean her up, but she wouldn't relinquish the firm grip she had on her Watcher. Eventually, once Giles had gotten his stomach to calm down, he had simply taken Buffy upstairs to clean her up himself, leaving Joyce to clean up the kitchen. Tara had volunteered to help with the cleanup while the others went back to researching. Joyce smiled tiredly at her.

"I'll be fine," she told her. "Just when you think you've seen it all, something like this comes out of nowhere."

"That's not an answer of how you're doing Joyce," Tara admonished slightly. "That's how you want to be doing." Joyce stilled, eyes closed tightly.

"I don't know how I'm doing," she admitted reluctantly. "So much is happening now that I can't think about anything, much less sort out my feelings." Tara nodded in understanding.

"If you need anything," she offered as she began clearing the table once again. Joyce smiled at her.

"I know. Thank you." They worked quietly before Joyce glanced at the clock. "Oh my God. Dawn's going to be late for school."

"No," Tara told her. "It's Saturday."

"It is?" she checked. Tara nodded. "Oh God. Everything is just blurring together now."

"It's okay," Tara reassured her. "You can take as much time as you need. We can take care of everything around here."

"Thank you," she said, hugging the young woman tightly. After a few minutes she reluctantly pulled away.

"We'll be in the library if you need anything," she said as they finished cleaning up. "And we'll take the twins." Joyce nodded, pouring herself a cup of coffee as the young witch left the room. She sat down at the island, trying to get her mind to go blank when she heard the door knock. She opened it, surprised to see Ben on the other side.

"That was quick," she said as she turned back to the kitchen. Ben followed her.

"I was in the neighborhood," he shrugged. She knew it was a lie but let it go.

"Can I get you some breakfast?" she asked. He shook his head.

"I'll take some coffee if you have some," he compromised. She nodded, quickly preparing him a cup. They sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes, each sipping quietly. "You said she threw up?" Ben finally asked.

"Yes," she nodded her head, "but I think she's been nauseous for a while now. I think that's why she's not eating. At least that's what Rupert thinks. And he knows her better than I do right now." That last part was said with some venom. He looked her over critically.

"Are you okay?" She shrugged.

"Just some Watcher/Slayer stuff I don't understand," she told him, explaining briefly what Rupert told everybody. "I guess I'm a little jealous. I've always been Buffy's favorite, and suddenly he is." He smiled at her.

"I thought you wanted her to start reaching out to the others?" She glared at him.

"Of course I said that," she argued, "but I didn't really mean it. No mother does." He smiled knowingly just as Giles walked back in. He looked just as disheveled as before.

"Morning," he greeted as he made his way to the coffeepot. Ben raised his eyebrows in surprise. "It's a coffee morning," he explained briefly.

"Ah," Ben agreed as he took another sip of his brew. Joyce, however, was looking at Giles critically.

"I thought you were nauseous?" she asked him.

"Buffy was nauseous," he corrected. "She is also currently sleeping, which apparently translates into my symptoms going away."

"How exactly does that work?" Ben asked. "Joyce was trying to explain it to me. You feel everything she does?" Giles shook his head.

"I'm not entirely sure myself," he explained, "which is why it is one of the many things we are currently researching. I was able to feel her fear last night, but since then the feelings have been fading. I'm not sure why."

"But you felt them during breakfast," Joyce argued. Giles nodded.

"But they were still a shadow of what I felt last night," he countered.

"But you actually felt her nausea?" Ben asked. Giles nodded. "So you can feel her physical discomfort?"

"No," Giles shook his head. "It's not that straightforward. I don't think she, herself, understood what she was feeling. Even I wasn't sure until she started vomiting."

"How can she not know?" Joyce asked in exasperation.

"Remember we still don't know exactly where she regains feeling," Ben started explaining. "It's possible she can't actually feel her stomach reactions and instead she feels some sort of second hand symptom that she can't identify." He let that sink in for a minute before continuing. "Also we've never been able to fully rule out the possibility of brain damage." Joyce closed her eyes, desperately trying to keep the tears at bay. Many times It was too easy to forget the challenges Buffy had, but times like this brought them sharply into focus.

"What do we do?" she asked meekly. Ben sighed, taking the last sip of his drink.

"Don't let it get this bad again," he told them, "but this isn't entirely unexpected. I've been worried something like this would happen since she hasn't been gaining weight like I hoped."

"Something like what?" Giles asked.

"Nausea is a very common side effect for many of the medications Buffy is taking," he explained. "It's tricky finding the right combination that lets the medicine do its job without adversely harming the patient. Sometimes it takes years to get the right mix. If she has been feeling nauseous this whole time it's likely due to her medication. We'll try a different dose. I'd also like to check the wound on her neck, just to make sure there's no infection. That is the last thing she needs right now."

"She's upstairs," Giles said, leading them out of the kitchen.

"I've got a couple of IVs you can use to give her some nutrients for the next few days," he told them as he grabbed his bag and followed them upstairs. "If the nausea is this bad it will probably take a few days for it to clear up." Joyce nodded and quietly knocked on Buffy's door before pushing it open only to find an empty bed.

"Rupert?" she asked as she completely entered the room. She quickly checked the bathroom, but knew immediately that Buffy wasn't there.

"She was sleeping," he told them.

"Not anymore," she said. She turned to him. "Can you feel her?"

"I'm not a bloody homing pigeon," he grumbled, doing the same checks she just did. He stood in the middle of the empty room, concentrating. "Ethan."

"She went to him again?" Joyce asked, as she led them out of the room. Giles shrugged.

"I don't know, but she's still drawn to him, for whatever reason."

"But not necessarily a bad one." She stopped abruptly, so quickly that they almost ran into her, and turned to face him. "Do you think it could be coincidence that he came here just when she started feeling sick?" Giles shook his head.

"He was sent here by the Powers," he thought out loud, "but I no longer think he has anything to do with her illness." He stepped past her and hurried into the library, fully expecting to find her wheelchair at one of the tables. "She's not here," he said as he took in the group researching.

"Who's not here Ripper?" Ethan asked, glad for the distraction. Giles sighed.

"Buffy," Joyce explained. "She's not in her room."

"And you immediately thought I kidnapped her?" Ethan asked, sighing dramatically. "What is it going to take for you to understand I am not going to hurt her?"

"More time than we have right now," he told him, leaving the library. They searched the rooms on the ground floor without any sight of her. Finally, they went down into the basement, where they could hear Spike snarling.

"Buffy," her mother admonished as soon as she saw her. Buffy was sitting next to the bars as close to Spike as she could. Spike was trying to get to her, while at the same time trying to stay away. He was so conflicted his face kept changing back and forth, which accounted for the snarls they heard. Buffy turned when they called out, but quickly turned back to Spike. "Buffy, we need to talk," Joyce told her. She put her hand on Buffy's shoulder. Buffy turned to face her, unable to hide the fear in her eyes. Joyce looked to Giles helplessly.

"Buffy," Giles repeated, pulling her chair slightly so he could crouch down in front of her. "There is no reason to fear your mother." She just looked at him in uncertainty. "Can we go somewhere and talk?" he asked her as Spike once again lunged for them, rattling the chains and howling at the top of his lungs. Buffy looked back at the vampire once again and nodded, but instead of letting them push her she wheeled herself over to the side of the basement. A place where she still had a good view of the vampire. Joyce looked to Giles as they headed over, but he could only shrug.

"And I thought I had problems," Ben said as he took in the nearly feral vampire. "What's going on here?" he asked, as he followed them to the other side of the room.

"The first of many problems we got when Ethan showed up," Giles told him.

"Hmmm." Ben studied the vampire for a few minutes. "Is he going to get better?"

"Well," Giles stuttered when Buffy shot him a piercing look. He took his glasses off and cleaned them as he studied her. It was the intense look of the Slayer which had been missing since she returned. "He's being affected by a spell," he decided on a quick explanation for both of them, as he realized this was the first time Buffy had seen Spike's demon form since being back. "We expect the spell to run its course tonight and think he will be back to normal tomorrow."

"Well, I have some heavy duty tranquilizers if you need them," Ben offered. Giles nodded, but his focus was on the girl in front of him. After his explanation she turned back to the vampire, face blank so he couldn't tell what she was thinking.

"Buffy?" she turned to face him again. "He will be fine. We're helping him." She processed that for a minute before smiling slightly. Giles automatically returned it, stepping aside so Joyce could take his place.

"Buffy?" she called quietly as she pulled up a chair to sit in front of her daughter. She reached out to brush a strand of hair back behind her ear. Buffy sat stiffly while she did. Joyce sighed. "I think we need to have a talk. A real talk. I just wish I knew you understood me." She looked heavenward in exasperation and didn't see Buffy slowly reach out a hand until she gripped her mother's hand tightly. Joyce immediately looked down at their entwined fingers before looking at her daughter. Buffy held her gaze then nodded slowly, which caused Joyce to smile sincerely. "Now this is a serious, grown-up talk." Buffy nodded again. "About staying healthy." Buffy looked down at her lap, but nodded again.

"You didn't do anything wrong," Giles quickly reassured her. She looked up again.

"Yes you did," Joyce countered. They both looked over to her, but she focused on her daughter. "You didn't tell me you were sick." Buffy looked back down, but Joyce reached over and gently lifted her chin until she was looking at her again. "Part of growing up is doing things you don't want to do. Telling us you're sick, even if it means a trip to the hospital, is one of them." Buffy shuddered at the thought of the hospital, but Joyce refused to let her look away. "I love you too much to let you waste away. And I will do whatever it takes to keep you healthy and happy, even if you don't want me to." Buffy reluctantly nodded.

"She wants to believe you," Giles said cautiously, "but she's not sure she can." Joyce sighed.

"I love you more than life itself," she told her daughter, resisting the urge to gather her in her arms. "When I force you to do something, especially if it's something you don't want to do, it's because I love you. And I need you to do it because I hope you love me, and not because that man tells you to." Buffy looked up, tears forming in the corners of her eyes as she studied her mother's face intently. She hesitantly reached out and Joyce couldn't resist any longer. She scooped her daughter up and settled her in her lap, cradling her body as both women started crying. They held each other tightly until the sobs subsided. Buffy broke the hug first, shifting position to lean on her mother but making no move to leave her lap, which Joyce happily accommodated. "Are we good?" she tearfully asked. Buffy nodded enthusiastically.

"She no longer fears you," Giles said, sounding strained. Joyce looked over to him, to find him concentrating deeply on them.

"Anything wrong?" she asked. He shook his head, but didn't look any less confused.

"I can no longer feel her emotions," he said perplexed. "I could feel her fear and confusion about you, but when you reconciled, all feelings from her have disappeared."

"Is that good or bad?" Ben asked, breaking his silence for the first time.

"I'm not sure," Giles told them. He studied them intently.

"She still has feelings," Joyce told them certainly, holding her daughter tightly.

"Of course," Giles replied, smiling slightly at the scene. Ben gave them a few minutes before approaching the pair.

"Hey Buffy," he greeted cheerfully. He knelt down so he was level with the pair. Buffy moved her head to watch him. "I hear you haven't been feeling so great these last few days." She shrugged. "I need you to be honest with me," he told her. "I promise I'll do my best to keep you out of the hospital, but I need your help to do that. Can you do that for me?" She nodded reluctantly, glancing at her mother.

"Do you want us to go?" she offered, sensing Buffy was getting uncomfortable. Buffy looked at her, then turned her head to Giles. She studied them for a minute before shaking her head. At the same time, she reached out to Giles, who quickly stepped over and took her hand. She turned back to Ben and nodded. He smiled gently at her.

"Okay. Does your tummy hurt?" he asked. She shook her head. "Do you feel sick?" She looked uncertainly at her mother.

"Like before," she explained, "when you were throwing up." Buffy thought for a minute before shaking her head.

"Are you hungry?" Ben asked as he made his notes. Buffy quickly shook her head. "What about after you eat? Do you feel sick then?" Buffy looked down and shrugged. "Sometimes?" Ben prompted. Buffy looked up and nodded while Ben made notes. "How about your head? Does it hurt?" Buffy nodded. "What about your arms and hands? Your back? Do any of these hurt?" Buffy shook her head. Ben studied his notes. "Are you sleeping okay?" Buffy shrugged.

"Buffy," Joyce admonished, barely suppressing the urge to roll her eyes. She looked up guiltily before shaking her head.

"Is it nightmares?" Ben asked. Buffy shrugged. He looked to her parents for guidance.

"She doesn't sleep much right now," Joyce said. She had become intimately familiar with Buffy's sleeping patterns during their visit to LA. "But it isn't the same as nightmares. It's almost like she just can't fall asleep. And even when she does have nightmares right now, they're not as intense as they usually are."

"I actually think they are prophetic dreams," Giles told them quietly. "They started right before Willow arrived and the events that have since taken place are similar to large scale events her prophetic dreams usually warn about."

"Prophetic?" Ben asked, before something else caught his attention. "Willow?"

"Long story," Giles shrugged. Ben nodded. "We were also told indirectly that her nightmares were, in fact, prophetic Slayer dreams."

"And she wasn't able to tell the difference," Joyce added, remembering the conversation with Ethan that started this whole mess.

"Either way she needs to sleep," Ben said, before turning back to Buffy. "Do you have any trouble falling asleep?" She shrugged so he tried a different question. "Do you lie awake in your bed just staring at the ceiling?" She glanced at her mother before nodding. "Are you tired right now?" She shrugged. "Do you want to go to bed?" Shake. "But you're tired." She reluctantly nodded.

"And we're officially in the terrible twos again," Joyce joked, but she smiled down lovingly at her daughter, who took the opportunity to snuggle closer.

"Good luck with that," Ben said as he studied his notes. After a few minutes he looked up at them. "The good news is that all of these are symptoms of the various medications we have her on. Once we get the right dosages and combinations most of these should go away."

"Until then you have to be honest about how you're feeling," Joyce admonished. Buffy guiltily looked away, but nodded a few seconds later.

"Right," Ben said, putting his notebook away and rooting through his bag. "I want to draw some blood and have a look at those bite marks." Buffy sat up straighter, one hand gently feeling the bandage while the other pointed to Spike. She looked at her Watcher curiously.

"Spike didn't do that," Giles said as Ben moved in with his needle. Both women had become so accustomed to needles that neither one of them flinched. Buffy pointed again and Giles sighed. "Yes a vampire did that."

"Spike saved you," her mother said as Ben started undressing the wound. When it was uncovered he let Buffy briefly explore it with her fingers before cleaning and re-bandaging.

"No sign of infection," he said as he taped the gauze down. "That's good. The blood work will tell us for sure if there's any infection, but I don't think it's likely at this point." He smiled down at them as he carefully packed the vial into his case. "Now I want to start some IV treatments again," he told them, "just until we get you back onto solid food." Buffy dutifully raised her arm and Ben expertly hooked up the IV while Giles went to get the pole attachment for the wheelchair. "There's one more thing," he told them once everything was set up. "I'm going to give you something to help settle your stomach, but you have to promise me you'll try to eat something." Buffy looked to her mother reluctantly.

"I promise you can stop if you start feeling sick," she compromised. She thought about it for a minute before nodding.

"Great," Ben smiled, before pulling out another syringe and vial. He measured a dose then deftly injected it into her IV. "It should take full effect within an hour. Nothing heavy. Broth and crackers, maybe some ginger ale to help settle her stomach." Giles nodded as he gathered his supplies. "I have a couple extra IV's I'll leave behind. One in the morning and one at night before bed," he instructed.

"What about her medication?" Giles asked as he took the bags Ben offered him.

"Keep it the same for right now," he instructed. "I'll look into changing it when I get back to my office. As soon as I have something I'll bring it by or have Abby bring it by. Hopefully tonight, but no later than tomorrow evening." Giles nodded as he led the doctor out of the room. Joyce looked down at Buffy.

"So what do you want to do now?" she asked. Buffy pointed to Spike, but kept a firm grip on her mother. "I couldn't agree more. We haven't been here for him have we?" Buffy shook her head and Joyce smiled before looking around the room. "Wait here." Buffy nodded and reluctantly moved back to her wheelchair while Joyce stood and moved over to the small couch on the far side of the room. After several minutes of pulling she moved the couch into position in front of the bars. Buffy smiled, unlocked the brakes and wheeled over. "Phew," Joyce said as she flung herself onto the couch, "that was heavier than it looked." Buffy smiled, locked the chair, and moved herself onto the couch. After a few minutes she was settled comfortably in her mother's arms. Joyce smiled, looking up in time to see Spike watching them affectionately before his demon rose again.


	19. Chapter 19

Warnings and disclaimer in Chapter 1. Enjoy.

* * *

"Lunch," Dawn announced loudly as she started her trek down the stairs. She carried a tray with several sandwiches for her and her mother and a mug of the broth Andrew had made the night before. Joyce looked up as Dawn thundered down the stairs. She placed the tray on the empty wheelchair and ran up the stairs once more, returning a few minutes later with several bottles of water and a bottle of ginger ale. "Do you mind if I join you?" she asked, already making herself comfortable on the other side of Buffy.

"Not at all," Joyce replied, shifting so she could free up her arms.

"Is Buffy asleep?" Dawn asked, frowning slightly. Joyce shook her head.

"Just dozing," she said. "She'll probably wake up in a few minutes." Dawn nodded, handing her mother a sandwich and bottle of water while she started munching on her own sandwich.

"So how's it going down here?" she asked, eyeing Spike carefully. "He looks more in control now. Maybe your presence is a good thing."

"I don't know," Joyce countered. "He looks more predatory to me, likes he's thinking of a hundred different ways to kill us. To be honest, it's kind of frightening. If I didn't know him like I do, I would probably ask someone to come take care of him."

"And they probably would too," she said, taking a bite of her sandwich while she eyed the vampire. "But they didn't immediately jump to the 'dust Spike' plan, so I think that's improvement." Joyce smiled and they ate in companionable silence for a few minutes until Spike sat up straighter. A minute later Buffy started waking up. "He always was obsessed over her, even before it turned to love," Dawn said, causing Buffy to glance up at her and smile. Her smile faltered when she saw the lunch Dawn brought. She turned, seeking her mother desperately.

"Remember what we talked about," Joyce told her, putting down her sandwich and picking up the mug of broth. Buffy nodded resignedly. "I promise if you start feeling sick we'll stop, but you promised to try." Buffy nodded again, shifting so she was leaning up against her mother.

"Here," Dawn told her, handing a small towel to Joyce. "Just in case," she said as she moved the food safely to the side. Joyce rolled her eyes but took the towel, draping it over her shoulder like a burping rag.

"Do you feel sick right now?" Joyce asked, as she checked the temperature of the broth. Buffy thought for a moment then shook her head. "We'll take this one sip at a time. If you ever start to feel sick, or just feel off, just squeeze my hand or rap your knuckles. Okay?" Buffy nodded, bringing her hands up on top of her mother's. Joyce brought the mug up and Buffy took a hesitant sip. Joyce lowered the mug right away and both Joyce and Dawn studied Buffy intently. Buffy closed her eyes, but whatever Ben gave her obviously was working. Her eyes opened in relief. "More?" Joyce asked. Buffy nodded, and the three of them continued their lunch as they kept vigil. Finally, Buffy signaled an end, but Joyce was happy to see she drank almost half the mug. "One more sip," Joyce encouraged, but Buffy shook her head, a death grip on her hands. She looked to her mother fearfully, fully expecting to get punished for disobeying, but Joyce just smiled and nodded. "Are you sure?" she asked once more. Buffy nodded, her eyes bright with relief when Joyce put the mug aside and pulled Buffy closer to her.

They leaned back and watched Spike again. Dawn and Joyce chatted quietly while Buffy dozed. When night came they saw the change in their friend. He started struggling and growling, scratching anything he could in any attempt to get away. Joyce tried to bring Buffy upstairs, but she refused to go. Eventually Giles joined them in the basement. Buffy looked over when he opened the weapons cabinet, but he only shrugged as he pulled out the tranquilizer gun and loaded it.

"Just a precaution," he said as he joined the family, the gun draped casually across his back. "This is the night of the full moon. The spell should be at its apex, which means Spike should be more feral than ever before."

"But that's still a last resort," Dawn asked hesitantly, "right?"

"Of course," Giles stammered as the rest of the group came down the stairs. "Do I have to remind you to be careful?"

"Nope," Xander answered. The four core Scoobies were going out on patrol with the rest of the fang gang. "We are all full of the care right now."

"It appears our theory was correct," Giles said, gesturing to the vampire straining to get out of his chains. "Spike is definitely at his worst, so the rest of the demons will more than likely be too." He stopped as he noticed a figure hiding in the doorway. "Just where the bloody hell do you think you're going?"

"Out to patrol," Ethan said, flashing his mischievous smile. "To save the huddled masses from the bogeymen under their beds and all that. It's what you heroes do."

"You are hardly a hero," Giles hissed. Ethan shrugged.

"I'm not exactly a villain anymore though," he said. Giles growled, pulling of his glasses and polishing them furiously. "I've passed all your tests, done everything you've asked of me, even spent days of tedious research when I could have been burning down the town. I don't know what more I can do to prove myself, except to actually help where it's needed, which right now is out there."

"Fine," Giles growled, smashing his glasses back on. "But if you hurt any of these people I will hunt you down and kill you." Ethan grinned.

"There's the Ripper I know and love." He turned and headed back upstairs.

"Don't worry about him," Xander said. "We'll keep an eye on him."

"It's not him I'm worried about," Giles said, looking at the group fondly.

"Be extra careful tonight," Joyce said, shifting Buffy so she could stand up and give each of them a quick hug. "I don't want to make any late night trips to the hospital."

"Better than the morgue," Anya added, causing the group to stiffen uncomfortably.

"And on that optimistic note we better be off," Willow said, trying to put on her cheerful face. She held out one of the baby monitors. "Andrew has the twins upstairs. He's going to spend the night in the nursery, just to make sure nothing gets in."

"How heroic," Joyce said, flipping it on in time to here Andrew start a lengthy debate about the virtues of the Justice League. She quickly flipped it off. "Stay safe," she told them once again.

"Always," Xander answered for the group. "Ladies." He held his hand out to the open doorway, letting the women leave first. Joyce watched them go sadly.

"They'll be fine," Giles said, resting a hand on her shoulder as he too watched the young group depart. "They have been doing this for a long time."

"That doesn't mean I won't worry about them until they're safely back in the morning."

"Of course," he said softly, smiling at her gently. "It is bound to be a long night. Perhaps you would rather go to bed then spend it here?"

"No," she turned to face him. "Spike is a member of this family, and when someone in the family is in trouble we don't sleep until we figure it out."

"But Buffy," Giles started. "And Dawn?"

"Buffy made it clear that she doesn't want to leave, and until it gets too dangerous I'll honor her wishes. And Dawn…"

"Is staying right here," Dawn interrupted them. "Until Spike is back in the living, er unliving, with us, I'm staying right here."

"Fine," Giles conceded, "but be prepared for a long night." Spike accentuated that statement with a loud howl, rattling the chains with such force that Giles thought they might break. Buffy reached out for him, but both Giles and Joyce quickly pulled her back to the couch. Joyce sat down and pulled her daughter into her lap, holding her securely while Giles double checked the tranquilizer gun.

* * *

"Joyce?" Joyce blinked groggily, struggling to get her mind to work. "Joyce?" She turned her head to see Spike staring at her through the bars. Only it wasn't crazy Spike any more.

"Spike?" she asked quietly, quickly checking her watch. It was just after sunrise. The night was over.

"Hey mum," Spike answered, aiming for casual but falling short. Joyce shared a quick look with Giles before she shifted Dawn off of her side.

"How do you feel?" she asked quietly, kneeling down next to the bars. Sometime during the night Spike had broken the chains, but thankfully the bars were able to hold him.

"Like something you should have dusted," he answered truthfully. He looked behind her to the couch where Buffy and Dawn were sleeping. His eyes widened and he looked to Joyce pleadingly. "Dust me now luv, like you should have done then." Confused, Joyce looked behind her. Buffy had shifted in her sleep, revealing her neck and leaving the bandage clear to see.

"You saved her," Joyce told him. He shook his head, not believing what she was saying.

"I wanted to bite her. Kill her." He looked at her seriously. "Turn her."

"But you didn't," Giles stepped up to the pair. "Drusilla nearly did, but you saved her. Thank you." Giles's thanks was enough to shock the vampire into reality. While they had moved beyond hatred and through tolerance, this was the first time Giles had ever really thanked the vampire for anything. Spike's shock slowly changed to a grin.

"Don't mention it," he said, gaining back his cocky attitude. "Seriously. I have a reputation to protect." Giles rolled his eyes.

"I take it you have escaped this situation intact," he mumbled before staring at the vampire intently. "How do you feel?" he asked, and this time Spike knew he was in Watcher mode. He closed his eyes and really thought about it for a minute.

"I'm not entirely sure," he started. "It's like the demon is still in control, but at a distance, like an echo. It wants to hurt you, but at the same time I remember why I don't and am able to fight it. Does that make any sense?"

"You were under a spell," Giles told him, "to bring out your most animalistic traits. The spell just broke, but you will probably feel the effects for a few days as it gradually wears off."

"Great," Spike huffed, as he stepped back to the cot and draped himself over it dramatically. "Locked in the basement through no fault of my own. I am the victim here people."

"We can probably unlock you now," Joyce said, reaching for the key. Spike bound off the cot and sprinted to the door, stopping her hand shy of the lock. She looked up in confusion, but couldn't stop the gasp at the fear she saw in his eyes.

"Don't," he whispered. "There are things in my head, things I desperately want to do. To you, to Buffy, to everybody. I don't think I am strong enough to fight them." She smiled.

"I know you're strong enough," she said, "but if it will make you feel better we can keep you locked up."

"Thanks luv," he said gratefully, squeezing her hand gently. At that moment Dawn woke up.

"Spike!" she squealed, running over and giving him an awkward hug through the bars. He hugged her back just as tightly.

"Hey Niblet."

"Oh I missed you," she said as she pulled back. "I'm so glad you are okay. You are okay, right?"

"I'll be as right as rain in a few days," he told her as the rest of the group came trudging down the stairs.

"Man what a wild night," Willow said, sinking onto the couch in exhaustion.

"It was glorious wasn't it?" Ethan said as he sat next to the witch. They inadvertently woke Buffy, who stared at them for a minute before crawling over to snuggle into the side of the chaos mage. He was shocked for a minute before grinning and putting his arm around her. She put her head over his heart and watched Spike contently. Spike stared back at her as he made himself comfortable again. "So much chaos just running around town," Ethan continued as he pulled her close. "It makes me wonder why I ever bothered creating chaos in the first place when I could have simply had chaos come to me."

"What a dilemma" Giles said sarcastically as he and Joyce ran a critical eye over everybody.

"We're fine," Tara told them. "Just scrapes and bruises. It could have been a lot worse if it wasn't for Ethan."

"What?" Giles asked as he pulled out the first aid kit. He turned to his friend. "What did you do?" Ethan shrugged.

"I just told them when something big and powerful was coming. And maybe did a few tiny spells to keep teeth and claws out of human flesh."

"He was actually pretty helpful, except with the actual fighting part," Xander conceded, just as Wesley ran down the stairs.

"Did Spike return too normal?" he asked. The vampire in question just raised an eyebrow. "Good. Good. I just got a call from Cordelia. Angel also has come back to us." Spike snorted and Wesley frowned before continuing. "He was quite concerned with everyone's wellbeing here, especially Buffy."

"He probably felt the need to turn her just like me," Spike said. "Probably every demon in Sunnydale felt it."

"Yes, well like you we had him securely locked up so he couldn't act on his urges," Wesley said. "But he did feel Drusilla's attack on the Slayer and is quite enraged."

"He's not the only one," Spike said softly.

"He's going after her," Wesley said quietly. "Once the sun sets he's leaving to stop Drusilla once and for all."

"Does he need help?" Giles asked. Wesley shook his head.

"He only needs us to return. We'll be leaving in a few hours."

"Thank you," Joyce said, giving him a quick hug. "For everything you did." He blushed, but nodded and headed up the stairs. Joyce turned to look at the group. "Who's hungry?" The group trudged up the stairs noisily, discussing the virtues of different breakfast items. Joyce looked toward Spike. "Would you like some blood?" He shook his head, his eyes showing fear for a split second.

"Not quite yet, but thanks." She nodded and followed the group up the stairs. Giles sighed and turned to Ethan.

"So now that the crisis is over what will you do?" Ethan thought for a minute, before pulling Buffy closer to him.

"Do you really think it's over Ripper?" he asked. "We thwarted Willow's plan this time, but we saw no sign of her. And if there's one thing I know about evil. They don't give up easily."

"Not Willow," Giles protested, "but I agree we haven't seen the last of her. But one thing I know about evil. Between defeats there is a period of calm. And we should take full advantage of it."

"Fine," Ethan sighed dramatically, causing Buffy to turn her head slightly to watch him. "You have twisted my arm enough. I will stay."

"What?" Giles asked, flabbergasted.

"But I can't take living here anymore," he continued. "Too much goodness around me. I don't know how you can stand it. I have to get a place of my own."

"Yes," Giles agreed. "Away from here. Far, far away."

"Nonsense," he stood, gathering Buffy in his arms as he carried her over to Giles. "How am I supposed to enjoy the chaos that inherently finds its way here if I'm not here? But don't worry. I promise I won't be up to much mischief." He smirked and placed Buffy in his arms. She smiled at him, while Giles stammered unsuccessfully.

"Wait," he called out as Ethan strode out of the room. Spike erupted into laughter.

"Guess we have a new player in town," he said jovially. Giles glared at him. "Now if you don't mind, I haven't gotten a good night's sleep for a while now. Think I'll turn in." Giles stared before sighing and making his way upstairs, Buffy firmly in his grasp. He entered the kitchen to find someone had brought up her wheelchair. She happily pointed at it, and within seconds she was zipping through the house.

"What just happened?" Xander asked, a piece of toast halfway to his mouth. Tara smiled.

"She's finally being herself," Tara said, as they all watched Buffy push open the back door and wheel herself onto the deck. She just sat there, soaking up the sun. "She's finally free."

The end… for now.

* * *

AN: We finally have arrived at the end of the line. Once again I am incredibly sorry about the sporadic posting schedule. But it looks like real life is starting to settle down again, so hopefully I'll be back to a regular schedule for the next one.

A few more ramblings. My original idea didn't end here. This was about the halfway point in the story, but as I was writing it, everything wrapped up so well while leaving room for more that I knew it had to end here. Plus, there is a gap of a month or so between this point and the next and you can only say they're researching so much before Anya will drive you crazy and curse you. And what if she cursed you with writer's block? That would have been a tragedy. Anyway, I have started writing the next story, where everything will be wrapped up in a nice, tidy bow. Well, almost everything.

Once again, thank you for reading. I sincerely hope you enjoyed the story and hope to see you around for the next one.


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